


Renegades

by withowlmyheart



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged Up, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, AsaNoya - Freeform, Betrayal, Blood and Injury, Character Development, Dystopia, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Instability, Minor Character Death, Mutation, Post-Apocalypse, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Third Gym (Haikyuu!!), Violence, matsuhana - Freeform, mention of minor relationships, tsukkiyama - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-08-10 13:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20136472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withowlmyheart/pseuds/withowlmyheart
Summary: After the last world war that left the Earth devastated, as a place where one could no longer live because of radiation, a group of human beings appeared to call themselves "inhuman". With improved skills, they were in charge of creating a new home for everyone.One hundred years later, humans live in floating cities protected by the inhumans, considered as gods. Below, on The Ground, the law of the strongest prevails. Creatures mutated because of radiation, conditions where life is almost impossible. There are still humans, the banished. The home of the Renegades, the only group that opposes the tyranny that the inhumans exert on others.When Akaashi Keiji entered as the new bodyguard of the son of the leader of the inhumans, Kōtarō Bokuto, he did not imagine that his life and that of the rest of humanity was about to change radically. The fight between Renegades and inhumans is about to begin and everyone will have to choose their side.Only one will win.





	1. ─── ❪❪ The beginning ❫❫ ───

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own the characters; they are all created by Haruichi Furudate.  
You can find me on Twitter: @stanfukurodani.

Three seconds. He inhaled, aimed and shot. The projectile fired at maximum speed. It cut the wind in its path until it crashed into the chest of the one who was chasing him. The body fell a couple of meters away and collapsed on the ground. He ignored the growl issued by the body as he sat up and scratched his nape, sore. He increased the speed of the hovercraft before his rival returned to his vehicle and reached him.

He arrived at the end of the forest, where the trees were so close and so high that the movement and speed were greatly reduced. However, he slipped between the trunks as if he was water; he didn't even touch them and reached his target in a blink. He jumped from the hovercraft and grabbed the only ledge of the rocky wall. He reached out and his hand took the last ball of the game. He turned to the sky, to the drone that relayed each of his gestures, and sketched a smile from ear to ear while showing the object to the audience watching it thanks to the camera of that device.

On the other side of the camera, the spectators of the most popular game of Capital rose and burst into shouts of joy that accompanied their applause. The public favorite had won another year. In the tide of people only two remained seated.

"He is your goal." 

The young man next to her inclined his head slightly, resting it on his hand. His eyes, a strange color that could be mistaken for both green and gray, had not taken off from the screen that showed a boy with pointed black and white hair depositing the last ball on his marker. The opposing team was not up to par. 

"Is it really necessary? He is strong." He said, causing the woman beside him to stare at him.

A shiver ran down his back, but he didn't let his expression change in the slightest.

"If it wasn't, you wouldn't be here." The man sighed and placed his hands on his stomach.

"Does he agree with this?"

"That is not relevant." The woman said. "My opinion is what counts." She got up and walked to face the screen that was in front of her. Then she turned to his interlocutor. "I am the leader of Capital and my words are the rules."

He raised his head to the bright blue sky that always shone on the floating city. The sun's rays were so intense that he had to hide the range of vision using his hand.

"I get it. Well, in that case your son has a bodyguard."


	2. ─── ❪❪ The new bodyguard ❫❫ ───

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Please take care of Bokuto."
> 
> "I think it is my job. No one will hurt him down there."
> 
> The answer, however, did not calm the young man as he pressed the bodyguard shirt more tightly between his fingers.
> 
> "It is not The Ground that worries me."

The first time Akaashi saw Kōtarō Bokuto, the word that came to his mind was "star." He jumped. So high that the upper half of his body surpassed the net that stood in front of him. So high that rival blockers were not able to stop the spike that crashed into the ground with such force that the gymnasium fell silent. Akaashi's eyes admired the eighty-five meter figure that clutched his knees while catching his breath. A smile adorned his lips, but did not shine as bright as his gaze.

"Hey Hey hey! I'm the best!" The voice of the two-colored hair echoed throughout the room.

Keiji paid no attention to player comments. The boy had captured all his senses. How much force would those worked muscles have? He had seen him in a speedball game (Capital's favorite sport) but he was just a fuzzy figure in the distance. Now he was in front of him and saw a commanding boy. It was just the kind of person Akaashi liked: powerful, responsible, strong... A born leader. Surely he was feared and respected by his underlings.

Maybe my job is not so bad after all, the green-eyed thought.

"Hello!" There was an orange-haired boy in front of him, but Akaashi didn't even hear him. "Hey, sorry, do you need anything?"

It was necessary for the little boy to make a giant leap in front of him to realize that there were now several pairs of eyes on his figure. Including those gold.

"Yes. I came to introduce myself. I am Akaashi Keiji. The new bodyguard."

Some of the crowd watching him whistled with clear second intentions. The boy next to the leader's son, one who seemed freshly taken out of bed by his hairstyle, elbowed the two-colored hair. He reacted with a jump causing him to spill some of the water from the bottle he held in his hands.

"Akashe!"

Akashe?

Had he heard it wrong? Yes, that should be.

The golden-eyed one came running, shaking his hand.

No. No, please.

"It's nice to meet you,‘ Kashee!" He screamed.

It was curious how the opinion about a person could change in a matter of seconds. The solemn leader who had crossed the triple block of his rivals had become a strident hyperactive boy who had the bad luck of tripping over his own foot and spilling the water bottle on Akaashi.

He took a deep breath for three seconds. How much did the universe hate him to send such a dork? He didn't need more to understand why the young man's mother had hired him. If he was that clumsy, he didn't know how he had survived more than a year.

"I'm really sorry!" He put his hands to his head and desperately looked for something to dry him with. Not finding him caused him to make an exaggerated bow. "Forgive me, please, ‘Kaashi! It has been an accident! It won't happen again!"

Akaashi realized that the other players were watching the scene with a smile, some without holding back the laughter. Something like that was expected to happen, but none had intervened to avoid it.

"It's okay." He replied, measuring his tone so as not to sound rude. "But my last name is Akaashi."

"I am Brokuto Kontado!" The laughs this time were not hidden. The cheeks of the tallest dyed a light pink hue and he quickly corrected it: "I meant Bokuto Kōtarō!"

"Yes, I know, Bokuto. Everyone knows you." He took a breath before saying the following: "I am pleased to finally meet you and work with you. I hope it will be fruitful for both."

He extended his hand to him and reciprocated. His hand was smaller than Akaashi's, and sweaty. At one point the young son of the leader approached his partner, the one who seemed freshly out of bed, and whispered something. But, since his tone was louder than normal, Akaashi could hear it perfectly:

"Hey, Kuroo, what does fruitful mean?"

No, that was definitely not going to be a simple job.

✦─────────── • ✧

The exchange of glances lasted several minutes in which neither of them yielded even an instant. It seemed that they did not need to blink and those present began to wonder if they would not be dead. The only thing that betrayed any presence of life was the slight flutter of their nostrils when breathing. No one dared to break the silence of the room despite the tension that had been generated since the meeting began. Finally, after about five minutes that everyone was made eternal, it was the boy sitting face down on the couch who spoke.

"I don't think it's a bad idea."

The two that until that moment had been throwing daggers with their eyes, diverted it now to the boy with bicolor hair. He didn't seem to care in the least because he kept his face calm.

"Are you serious?" Asked the head of the palace bodyguard service uncomfortably.

"Iwaizumi, he is going to be my new bodyguard, right?" Bokuto shrugged simply. "I do not see crazy if he comes with me to the Chase. Anyway, sooner or later, he was going to do it. Why delay the inevitable?"

The bodyguard got up and hit the table with his right hand, causing a few drops of coffee to spill. That bothered Akaashi, who hastened to take a handkerchief and clean it.

Of course Bokuto could not confess to the head of the bodyguard body the real reason why he wanted to work with the boy as soon as possible, and even more so if he could accompany him to the Chase. When Bokuto caught his breath and noticed that young man, he thought he would be surprised by the spike he had just made. It had been impressive, the best of the whole game, without a doubt. He had even glimpsed a grimace in Kuroo, the same he always did when Bokuto managed to break the block. However, in those stoic green eyes he saw no emotion, as if he was reading the newspaper. That immediately deflated Bokuto, who came running to introduce himself. He hoped he could get at least one smile, but for his misfortune he ended up stumbling and causing one of the worst first impressions in history.

So his idea was for Akaashi to accompany him during one of the operations to show him what he was capable of. This time without water bottles in between, he told himself. He was determined to see at least a small smile on those fine and perfect lips.

"I haven't had time to properly evaluate him or prove his abilities!" Iwaizumi exclaimed, but her voice gradually lost strength as he remembered who was screaming at. "He may be melee attack skilled, but as you know, other skills are required down there to survive."

"Do you think my mother would have hired someone to ensure my safety if he wasn't well trained?"

The headguard of the bodyguards sat straight, as if he had received an electric shock, and bit his lower lip slightly. That question did not require any answer. Because, if he received it, the consequences would have been unfavorable for him in any way.

The young man placed both hands on the ground and with an agility that baffled the newly arrived bodyguard, he stood up.

"Good, Akghashe. Since you will accompany us to the Chase this afternoon, let me show you the material and introduce you to the team before the next mission. You will see, they are all great!"

Akaashi let out a heavy sigh, but said nothing to the boy who had deformed his last name that way. He imagined it would be a waste of time.

"Is it okay for you to take care of that...?" One of the people who until then had remained on the sidelines intervened. He recognized him as that orange-haired boy who addressed him when he reached the gymnasium where they practiced volleyball. "The staff could..."

Bokuto approached him and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Again that naive smile that had managed to irritate the new bodyguard.

"What kind of boss would I be if I didn't treat newcomers well, huh, Hinata?" He said with obvious pride, pointing his thumb.

The green-eyed could have replied, arguing that who paid his salary was his mother, but decided to shut up and not break his bubble.

"You are the greatest Mr. Bokuto!"

The so-called Hinata stood on tiptoe with a smile on his lips capable of competing with Bokuto's one. It was like looking directly at the sun, thought Akaashi.

Bokuto was the first to leave, followed by the rest of the palace staff. The green-eyed man was going to follow his protégé, but one hand held him. When he bowed his head, he noticed that he was the little one. Hinata thought she remembered what Bokuto had called him. It was evident from how he bit his lower lip that something worried him, and Akaashi soon discovered it.

"Please take care of Bokuto."

"I think it is my job. No one will hurt him down there."

The answer, however, did not calm the young man as he pressed the bodyguard shirt more tightly between his fingers.

"It is not The Ground that worries me."

✦─────────── • ✧

It seemed to Akaashi that the meeting had not gone so badly. The head of the bodyguards had had no problem with his recommendation and immediate incorporation since it was the leader herself who had ordered. However, when he was told that the boy would accompany his youngest son on a mission on his first day, he tensed and called a meeting. Of course there were several members of the bodyguard service and palace employees; and even the leader's own secretary, concerned about the situation. Another could have felt self-conscious and intimidated, but not Akaashi. He was trained to endure the hard and inquiring looks of those people who expected the slightest mistake to tear it apart in front of the leader. And that was not a common work where a fault meant half an hour of shouts from his superior. No, working for Chika Bokuto a blunder meant jail for life if he was lucky. The real problem, however, would be to put up with Bokuto throughout the day. It was the kind of person that irritated him the most: always smiling, downplaying vital issues, and talking your ears off. He discovered that last thing in the halls of the immense palace where he kept chattering, explaining the history of each painting there hung or what was behind each door. The leader's home was undoubtedly colossal and had been built and decorated in detail. From what he had seen, a main hallway connected all the rooms and led to the last one Bokuto had explained to him was Chika's office, a place that only she had access to.

"What about her secretary? He can't enter either?"

"No, he can’t." Bokuto shrugged; even that gesture was full of enthusiasm. "When my mother is there and has to talk to her, he does it through the communicator, like everyone else. Her office is the most difficult site to access in Capital."

"How is that possible?"

"Because to enter you need your fingerprint, vision recognition, and voice recognition using a password that only she knows." He illustrated with his fingers the number of things that were required to enter. "And don't try to force the door or find other accesses because it's impossible. They have already tried it."

After a brief silence, Akaashi replied:

"Yes, what she keeps there must be important."

"We will never know."

The tone of his partner was mysterious and Akaashi was about to ask him, but he decided to shut up since he had done the same and a little silence from Bokuto would be appreciated.

He wondered what kind of secrets the leader would hide behind that armored door. A place where only one person could access. If even his own family could not enter what was there hidden should be something really important.

The two-colored-haired boy (Akashi wondered several times which his natural color would be, whether white or black) also told him that the palace had been designed in that way to be functional. Because it was always crowded and numerous meetings were held, it was much easier to build a central corridor that would take them anywhere than to create an intricate web of doors, corridors and interconnected rooms. It seemed logical to the bodyguard because that place was not only the home of the leader and her family but also the center of capital operations. The most important decisions were made on that perfectly polished marble floor. None of those explanations could catch his curiosity as the leader’s office had done.

A few meters from the final room, the corridor widened to form a spacious hall. He led him to the elevator and once inside he entered a series of numbers on the panel; the password that each palace member had. Then he dialed a number that Akaashi failed to see.

"With the code they gave you, you can access the ground floor and all its rooms as well as the second. For the third you would need the other one that they gave you, the one that starts with three."

"I remember."

"Cool!" Again that naive smile was planted in the lips of the highest. "Well, this code will also allow you to go to at least five which is where the seraphim elite trains and where they keep the equipment. There is also the department of research and arms development of Capital."

The green-eyed frowned slightly.

"Investigators and soldiers are together in the palace?"

"Yes! It was my sister's idea." Bokuto's voice rose even more and his gestures doubled as he spoke. " Before they were in separate places, but it was a huge mess because the investigators spent the day running around the military area to ask them or try the new devices. So in the end my sister decided that it was better if they joined both sections. Now they work together and it's much faster."

A slight "hm" escaped the lips of the dark-haired. Akaashi noticed that they were a couple of levels beneath the third floor.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"To the lowest floor, minus forty. We are going where the other serafims are waiting for us. It is also where we keep the cubicle and the changing rooms."

Akaashi wanted to ask what that cubicle was, however, Bokuto interrupted him again before he could do it. And that bothered him. Didn't he know how to be quiet for more than ten seconds?

"This mission is not like the others." He added. His tone was different, more serious. Akaashi turned to him.

"What do you mean?"

"Only the seraphim elite will go to the Chase." The boy took a step back, supporting his back against the elevator wall. "Leader’s orders. This is not supposed to be known by anyone except those who will come down. They have found one of the bases of the Renegades and in this hunt our mission is to end them. It would be the first time we managed to annihilate an entire cell!" Then he turned to Akaashi, his gaze radiating so much emotion that, had it been tangible, the bodyguard's skin would have burned. "Do you know how awesome is!? Ah, but it is dangerous! The leader suspects that there may be traitors or the most inexperienced will make mistakes that put everything in danger so she only send the ones in whom she can trust."

The elevator doors opened with a light click. On the other side, the lower green orbs watched as the only thing there was a spiral staircase that lost in the dark. Akaashi was in a position from which was impossible to determine how longer the staircase descended.

The two-colored hair was the first to get off the elevator.

As they went down the long staircase illuminated solely by the light thrown by the torches resting on the wall, Akaashi had a revelation:

"That's why Iwaizumi didn't want me to go."

"I guess so." Bokuto nodded. "But I'm sure you're amazing, Akgashee!"

The aforementioned leaned on the wet rock wall to avoid falling because of the instability of the steps. Akaashi was exceptional reading people. His inexpressive mask helped others not to know what was going on in his head and took advantage of that to get into others’ mind. However, Bokuto was a mystery to him despite the little time they had been together. Why? He was the first person he had met who believed in him firmly without any doubt, even when he knew nothing about the one with curly hair. Then there was that smile he exhibited wherever he went. How could it never be erased from his face? Where did he get so much happiness? Was it possible? Until then the boy had doubted it. Bokuto Kōtarō was different from the people he had met and did not quite like him. He knew how to deal with many types of personality. But not with someone like Bokuto. And what escaped his control made him nervous. Only time would tell if it was a good thing or not.

"You can't be convinced, Bokuto. You don’t know me."

"Yeah, you are right. But… I don’t really care. I believe in you and that is all."

That genuine smile that always flowed on the lips of his protégé for the first time was not so annoying to Akaashi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here is the first chapter (the previous one was the prologue). The second will be updated in two weeks if everything's fine.


	3. ─── ❪❪ The mistake ❫❫ ───

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto did not advance. He remained static, his eyes fixed on the floor.
> 
> "Bokuto, what...?" When the boy's green orbs followed the path of his protégé, he realized that it was too late.
> 
> They had made a fatal mistake. They assumed that the only defense the Renegades would have were the locators.
> 
> The mine Akaashi stepped on exploded.

Eight. Eight was the number of people the leader had decided to send to The Ground. Akaashi couldn't believe it when the excited bicolor told him. Had they entrusted such an important mission to nothing more than eight people? Including him, who had a vast melee training and experience in the field, but he did not know the team or how they proceed. It seemed more like a suicide mission and Akaashi began to consider, seeing that none of his next companions seemed nervous, that they had several mental problems.

However, he did not let the restlessness dominate him and he kept that cold expression on his face. The only gesture of nervousness that could be read on him was how he played with his fingers. But none seemed to warn it, they were more worried finishing everything for the descent.

The Ground. From that room, located on the top floor of the leader's residence, the windows showed a spectacular view of what was under the floating city. After the wars and desolation that devastated the Earth because of human greed, what remained was a desolate place. Arid deserts of reddish sand that, when the wind was rising strongly, lifted a smoke that looked like a sea of blood. There was no trace of human life. Ruins of what were once great skyscrapers had sunk under the sand and only the last floors embraced by cyclopean vines were emerging. Its size should be due to the effects of radiation. What kind of creatures would be there waiting for them? The Renegades had to live in terrible conditions. Surely everyone would suffer some mutation, thought Akaashi.

"Are you all ready?" Who spoke was a young man, although he looked a couple of years older than Akaashi. His appeal was evident: perfect features, perfectly combed brown hair and coffee eyes that landed on Keiji for a few seconds. A shiver ran through his body.

He turned away from the window and placed next to Bokuto. The boy looked at him in a hurry and Akaashi raised an eyebrow inquisitively. He soon saw how Bokuto's pupils pointed to the belt and realized that the weapon had been stuck and he could not place it well. The bodyguard rolled his eyes.

"Well, as you all know, this mission is really important. Not only for us but for everyone in Capital." The man continued while Akaashi secretly helped to take out his protégé's weapon. "Our target is ten kilometers from here. It is hidden in a building with a helicopter crashed on the roof; You'll recognize it right away. We will go down in the cubicles to The Ground. Once there we will use the motorcycles in 1-2-1. I will go with Iwaizumi at the head. Ushijima and Kageyama on the right flank. It is where there is usually more danger and, since Kageyama is a good shooter, he will serve as a shield." Akaashi thanked at that moment not to be the target of the commander's gaze, because those beautiful brown eyes revealed a fury that froze anyone's blood; Kageyama, the victim of these, took a step back. "Hanamaki and Matsukawa will cover the left side. Finally Bokuto and Akaashi will close the rear. Akaashi, I don't know your skills. I'll be honest: I don't like that. But", Oikawa held his breath "as long as I am here it won’t be a problem. Now, tell me, what are you good at?"

Akaashi swallowed deeply. The commander might seem sweet, smiling and pleasant, but his gaze was so deep that he seemed to drill it and scrutinize every corner of his soul. And he was waiting for an answer from him.

"I am good in any field, but my specialty is melee. Martial arts." 

"Then he should be who drives, shouldn’t him?" Suggested Iwaizumi.

The aforementioned nodded convinced and this time looked at Bokuto, who raised his thumb radiating one of his smiles. That seemed enough to take the issue for granted, so Commander Oikawa continued:

"Once we reach the building, Kageyama will get nearby from one of the ruins where he can get a good range of vision to shoot when necessary. Since Akaashi will be covering Bokuto's backs, Kageyama's mission will be to protect us. Is it understood?" Everyone nodded in unison, even if the question was addressed to Kageyama. "Good. I hope you don't fail a single shot." Akaashi didn't know why, but every time Oikawa turned to Kageyama, he did it with extreme hardness; He wondered if something had happened between them that explained so much tension. "Bokuto, you'll have to place the devices without being detected as we spoke. Once you have succeeded you will throw the violet light and both you and Akaashi will hide where Kageyama is. Ushijima, Hanamaki, Matsukawa, Iwaizumi and I will take care of creating a distraction which attracts the attention of the Renegades abroad and we will end up with those who do not fall into the trap. When you see the green light, you will activate the charges. Any questions?" Silence. "Give the best, as always."

No one objected or asked anything. Instead, they returned to their chores as nothing. At least in appearance. Because the black-haired now saw how a spark shone in the eyes of every soldier. Oikawa's words had been effective. Or maybe was his kind attitude but with overwhelming confidence. Perhaps it could even be because they were so used to working with each other that their confidence dissipated any fear. Anyway, Akaashi relaxed his shoulders for the first time since he entered that room.

When he had nothing to prepare, he approached his protégé, who was talking animatedly with a boy with striking red hair. Akaashi had the impression that those two were the main reason why the gel fixer factories had not closed yet. When Keiji approached he saw that the redhead was holding in his hands a strange device that emitted a faint blue light. He had never seen a similar object. It seemed to be part of some alien ship. Akaashi was not a technology expert, of course. He was best with simpler weapons.

"... I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong." The redhead's singing voice drilled Akaashi's ears. It was even more strident than Bokuto's. And he moved restlessly from side to side, swinging on his heels.

"All I say is that, if it bursts again and burns something, you're going to be very fired." The white-haired boy laughed. When he saw Akaashi, he gave a warm smile and waved his arm; as if it were possible that he didn't get anyone's attention. "Oh, ’Kaashi, here you are!" Akaashi placed himself next to the leader's son and Bokuto put his arm around the young man's shoulders. Mentally noted that his protégé did not respect personal space either. "Look, this is Tendō Satori. He will be in charge of establishing the connections between the group from here and controlling the area in case of any unforeseen events."

"It's a pleasure, ‘Kaashi." Satori's eyebrows arched into two perfect vaults.

The bodyguard restrained himself to not put his fingers to his temples and massage them. He had lost count of how many times his last name had been deformed by Bokuto. Because of him, others also called him wrong, of course. Although, whether it was Tendō's mocking smile or his expression itself, he sensed that Satori already knew that it was not his last name.

"It's Akaashi."

"’Kaashi, ‘Kaashi!" Bokuto pulled Akaashi’s shirt. "Have you seen the cubicle?"

The aforementioned denied.

Bokuto grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him to a glass wall through which a small ship was visible.

"They work with a stronger engine than the hovercraft. But the most important thing is not that. Satori, explain him why!" The one with pointed red hair rested his hand on the glass. He looked with absolute devotion at the ship and Akaashi wondered if he had worked on the design or was simply fascinated by technology.

On the other hand, he regretted having approached those two. They were similar. Too many, if they asked Akaashi. If Bokuto alone was already eccentric, next to the redhead was another story. Ushijima, Kageyama and Iwaizumi gave him the impression of being calmer and more serious, the kind of individuals that made Akaashi feel comfortable.

His job, however, was to take care of Kōtarō, so he kept his thoughts out without allowing a single emotional loophole to show in his cold expression.

"Of course!" Satori immediately jumped up, raising his hands. "The most important thing you should know about the cubicle is that it can only perform ascending and descending maneuvers. It has to be placed just where you want to go up or down because you cannot make other movements. That is why in the missions you leave from this floor: it is the closest to The Ground and is just above. I guess the most awkward thing is that there is a maximum of two people. Are you claustrophobic?" The bodyguard denied tiredly. "No? Better, because space is reduced."

As soon as the bodyguard peeked, he understood what Satori meant. It is not that there was little space, no, it was practically null. In fact, he noticed the seats and the difference between the floor and the ceiling and wondered if someone like him would fit. If he was standing up sure not because he passed the eighty meter. But if he was sitting was not very clear either. The bodyguard thought the cubicle’s name was perfect. And even more: he was supposed to accompany Bokuto Kōtarō, but the young man had a muscular body. His backs were wider than Akaashi's and he doubted they could both enter.

"This is the main weapon of the seraphim of the hunting legion."

What Bokuto held in his hands was a white metal gun with some merely decorative silver details. The difference with other weapons in the same category was that its barrel was larger and it was not possible to place a silencer because of its format. Bokuto handed it to him and he held it. He was surprised to discover that it was much lighter than it looked.

"It's the electrifying gun. Instead of normal bullets, it shoots these pellets that, upon impact with human skin, emits a powerful electric shock that neutralizes the enemy. But don't worry, you can take it. It works when it is fired by the gun, but it is harmless."

The ammunition consisted of a small ball of a metal that Akaashi could not identify. With a simple glance it did not seem different from what other weapons could use except for its excessive size. He imagined that that's why the cannon was so big.

"Do you use them to capture the Renegades?" He dared to ask.

Silence was not something that would make the bodyguard uncomfortable; in fact, he felt rather comfortable in it. However, when someone as talkative as the bicolor-haired used it meant that something was happening. His smile had disappeared and even his engineer friend had the prudence to move away, looking away as if the conversation was not with him.

He could understood why. The Renegades were the opposition group to the leadership that the new gods had created and their simple mention generated tension. Although, they had never attacked Capital because of its aerial location. Down there, in The Ground, they did everything possible to destroy them. In the floating city nobody took them seriously, they were a weak force compared to the power of the new gods, but the fact that there were people who disagreed with the ideals of Capital made many question things. No one was interested in the questions starting to flow. Not after the wars, the desolation that it’s expected in The Ground. To live in Capital was to live without problems.

"It is the main weapon," he said after that pause, "but not the one most used. In The Ground there is usually no place to dialogue or lower the guard. The orders are not to capture but to kill."

"You can tell he's a rookie," the redhead said in a singing voice. Apparently he was amused by the ignorance of the dark-haired. Keiji decided he didn't like him.

Akaashi noticed Bokuto now held another weapon. It was a common pistol, which all the seraphim carried when they patrolled the city and went outside. It was precise, light and fast. A weapon which had been improved in recent years. The best, only behind the assault rifle the seraphim specialized in shooting carried. _ That is a science marvel _, the bodyguard thought.

He wondered how many lives had taken the gun that his fingers held familiarly.

And how many would he take with it.

"Be careful, these are not the ones children use, you know? They hurt." Said Satori, watching him with a raised eyebrow. He had approached him and played with his long fingers. "Do you know at least how to shoot? I would not like you to shoot yourself on one foot by accident."

It was evident that Satori was joking on Akaashi.

Akaashi smirked and snatched the gun from the leader's son. He removed the gun's safety and aimed directly at the body of the thinnest. Satori froze. His skin paled several shades and anyone would swear that his hair had become more pointed.

Tendō swallowed the saliva ball formed in his throat and looked at Bokuto, who just shrugged with an innocent smile.

With a quick arm movement the gun barrel pointed to his left and fired. The water bottle on the other side of the room burst and the green-eyed one returned the gun to a gaping Bokuto.

"And you know how to shut up? Well, from what I see at least one of us has something to learn." Akaashi turned on his heel and got lost in the dressing room door.

The redhead let out a sigh from his lips and rested his hand on his friend's left shoulder.

"He is ..." Satori began.

"Incredible." Finished Bokuto.

"I was going to say dangerous, but I guess that fits him too."

"Hey," Oikawa reached down and looked for something under the table. He got up confused and looked at both of them with spiky hair "does anyone know where the water bottle I had left here is?"

Satori and Bokuto exchanged a couple of glances and ran from there.

"Iwa! Do you have a glass of water out there?"

The aforementioned approached with a glass full of ice and left it on the table in front of Oikawa.

"Wait."

  * ✦───────────•✧

Akaashi discovered, to his fate, that despite his companion's slender body and height, he adapted perfectly to the cubicle. Yes, there was hardly any space and they rubbed continuously, but it was a lesser evil. In addition, with the suits, the contact was null. The journey was not as short as Akaashi thought. It took a while until the cubicle in which they were leaving the floating city, then they had to wait for the technicians to give the signal from the floor, and then the descent began. Bokuto and Akaashi were still in the second phase.

He studied his partner sideways. The day had been long and intense, without a single second to focus on his own thoughts. He hadn't stopped to really observe the leader's son beyond his body language, expressions and the confusion his attitude produced. At first glance he was not a flashy boy because of his beauty. In fact, what drew his attention was his two-colored hair, combed as if he wanted to have two horns on his head. It was the first thing that Akaashi noticed and took for granted that he wanted to increase the appearance of a bad boy. Because, yes, Bokuto was a person who imposed. He surpassed the eighty-five meter, his broad back was toned under the shirt with which he met him, and his gaze was so intense that Akaashi was about to get lost in it. Of course, then he opened his mouth and that entire facade fell apart. However, Akaashi, in the solitude of his mind, had to admit that the closer he was to him, the more attractive he was.

"Kaashi?"

The curly-haired man tilted his head slightly.

"Yes?"

"You just stared at me. Is everything fine?"

The boy's eyes opened. Ashamed, he denied and looked away from the window, unable to look at him again. How long would he have observed him? He thought he did it with dissimulation, but he was obviously wrong.

The silence settled between them again and, although Akaashi thanked him, he decided to break it to ask him something he had parked before.

"Why does Oikawa seem so upset with Kageyama? Did something happen between them?"

"You have realized!" Akaashi wondered if Bokuto's way of opening his eyes was humanly normal.

He shrugged no more.

"It seemed pretty obvious to me."

"Kaashi, you're amazing. I didn't realize until I screwed up with a comment and Ushijima explained it to me. Ushijima!" He hit himself with his left hand on his forehead. "He saw it and I didn't…"

_ Why is it that I am not surprised. _

"Bokuto, I think you are deviating from the subject..." A jolt in the cubicle caused the brunette to cling to Kōtarō's arm.

"Oh yes, sorry! There is something you should know first." The rattle of the vehicle became more intense and Akaashi turned pale. "Oikawa is the best shooter we have the seraphim, you know? Is incredible! He is capable of shooting from any distance with any weapon in any circumstance."

That is technically impossible, the boy thought, but said nothing because his concentration was divided into not vomiting and listening to his protégé.

"They named him commander with only twenty-five years. The youngest in history!" The corners of the bodyguard's lips stretched upward. "He had a high price to pay. And he had to fight against Ushijima because then the title was disputed between Oikawa and Ushijima." 

"Ushijima? The tall and strong guy who goes with Kageyama? I don't think he is one of those people who lead others. He is not very talkative."

"That's because you don't know him. He's a very good guy, and he knows how to encourage people!" He thought for a second and then added, "In his own way. And he is smarter than he seems. He always beats me at Scrabble, you know? Fuck, how can he know words like bourgeois?"

"People usually know these things reading." Akaashi snorted. The shaking to which the ship was subjected turned his stomach. The only thing that seemed to calm him a little was Bokuto's talk. For once his continuous verbiage didn't bother him. "Could you keep explaining to me what happened between Oikawa and Kageyama, please?"

"Oh yes, sorry! During that time Oikawa couldn't see Ushiwaka because he always beat him in everything. But in the end he trained more than anyone and finally beat Ushiwaka. He obtained the title of best shooter and lately he become the commander. It was the dream of his life and I assure you he went to the extreme to get it."

Now Akaashi understood why there was that menacing glow in his eyes: with everything he would have fought to get there he could not allow a single fault to ruin everything.

"I get it. But I still don’t understand why Oikawa has… Well… Hm… Why seems like Oikawa hates Kageyama?"

"Kageyama arrived at the seraphim six months ago. As you have seen, he is very young."

He nodded. He had noticed it. Not that Akaashi was older, but he was surprised that someone who had just turned twenty years was in the elite of the seraphim.

A new shake. The bodyguard gripped on Bokuto's arm unconsciously. The leader’s son did not protest or depart.

"He was supposed to be with the rest of the rookies, at least until twenty-three. That is normal. However, in one of the missions he disobeyed the orders of one of his superiors by placing himself in another focus and thanks to it he liquidated two targets that were about to kill Oikawa. He saved his life. After that, the leadership, the tactics of Oikawa and its potential began to be questioned. Kageyama, of course, rose immediately and more with all the shooting potential he has. Some people say Kageyama’s technique and vision is far superior to Oikawa."

"I see. So Kageyama is the newcomer who threw down all his work."

"You get it." A sigh escaped the boy's lips. "This mission is Oikawa's opportunity to reaffirm his position as the commander and remind everyone why he is where he is. If he fails or Kageyama does something like he did in that mission again... Oikawa can say goodbye to his career forever."

  * ✦─────────── • ✧

The base of the Renegades remained in absolute silence. The stillness was disturbing. If Akaashi Keiji had learned something over time it was that, where there were animals (even if they were rats) there was life and it meant he shouldn't worry. When there was not a single soul it meant something worse was hiding in the shadows. The boy's shoulders tensed. He kept looking at all sides and did not take his hand away from the rifle he had behind him.

Since the motorcycles had been abandoned, he almost kissed the ground upon arrival (if he held back, it was because he thought it would be something more Bokuto's own than his). The feeling that they were being watched had been installed inside Akaashi and he thought at any moment the desert would become a battlefield.

"Kageyama will take a few minutes to give the signal." Said the taller man, lying in the place they had chosen to hide.

The curly-haired man gave a hoarse grunt as assent and hid better behind the mountain of sand served as a hiding place. Akaashi was surprised. Same as when they went up to the cubicle. Bokuto was an energetic man, unable to shut up, but he was surprising him. He turned his green orbs to him for a moment and instantly understood. Beside him Bokuto kept moving and looking everywhere restless. He bit his lip for a few seconds while gently tapping his foot. When he got bored he would frown and relax his brow or play with the buckle of the suit.

"Bokuto, do you need to go to the bathroom?"

The bicolor jumped and quickly denied.

"What!? No, no!"

"Then, why don't you stop moving?"

The boy looked away and Akaashi thought he saw a flash of shame in his eyes. He did not speak again and the brunette thought that the conversation would end there. However he was wrong.

"I do not want to bother you." He murmured. Akaashi could barely understood him.

The bodyguard slightly drew back his head, but Bokuto continued:

"I've noticed..." He stopped. Akaashi realized that he didn't like to talk about it. He shied away his gaze. "When I speak I annoy you." He finally released. "I saw it before, when I explained to you how the palace worked. And with Sato."

"That's not..." But Bokuto raised his hand, stopping him.

"You don't have to deny it, it's something I know." The sadness in his voice was so obvious that Keiji unconsciously clenched his fingers in a fist. "I bother my mother, and my brothers. Palace workers too. I usually try to restrain myself, but…" He laughed. But it wasn't the genuine laugh he had known. This one had a tinge of sorrow. "I guess when I met you I forgot it and I was myself."

Bokuto's words were so sincere that Akaashi could only stare at him with his mouth open. All those silences had been for him. Akaashi believed his cold mask was perfect, that he didn't allow a single gap of his emotions to be seen. However Bokuto had read him. More than it, he had put aside his way of being to not bother him. A stab of guilt settled inside the bodyguard. Maybe the boy was not as bad as he thought. He wanted to apologize, but before he could do it the communicator of his wrist emitted a beep.

"Kageyama is ready. Let's go." Bokuto got up, dusted off his clothes and held out his hand to the bodyguard.

  * ✦───────────•✧

He was unable to forget what Bokuto told him. His pupils remained in reality, analyzing the environment to protect the bicolor hair against any threat. However, his mind was far from there. The words of the leader's son were still in his head. Why did it matter so much to bother or not someone who had just met? It didn't seem like those who shut up for anyone. Of course he had misjudged him, something that didn't usually happen to the brunette. 

The spiky hair crouched down and removed the sand. He deposited a cylindrical object, no larger than his foot, and buried it as if there was nothing there. Akaashi did not know what it was and Bokuto seemed to realize because he intervened:

"It is a signal inhibitor." Bokuto set about throwing sand on the object until it completely covered it. "This way, if the Renegades try to escape, they will not be able to contact the others."

He imagined it must have a great reach because Bokuto had placed them around the building, at a big distance. He didn't know any device which could act more than five hundred meters efficiently.

"Sure, they aren't like everyone else!" He answered Akaashi's question. He raised both arms with the emotion that characterized him. Keiji was starting to saw his outbursts as something normal. He wondered how it was possible he was so energetic. Just seeing him was exhausting. "These are improved. They are the only ones that could work more than a kilometer."

"Is it your design?"

The boy straightened up, stretching his back completely, his chest forward, and a smile from ear to ear.

"Of course! Is it great, Akashee?

"It is." He nodded. "Really great, Bokuto."

And it was not a lie. He had really been impressed the improvement of the current signal inhibitor was his work. He had to admit, to his dismay, that all the first impressions he had on the boy fell apart. Was it all facade? Or maybe he had pigeonholed him like the typical annoying and idiotic talkative one without looking beyond?

He sighed and followed the two-colored one, finally approaching the building.

"Bokuto. How is it possible that the Renegades have not detected our presence?"

It had been worrying him since the two hundred meters of proximity had passed with the building half swallowed by the sand. If the resistance army was hidden there, wouldn't it be logical for them to have several defense mechanisms in case they found them? Akaashi's job was to protect Bokuto; the lack of so much information made him nervous. How was he going to accomplish his goal if he didn't know where he was going?

"It's because of the communicator you have on your wrist." To illustrate, the taller one raised his arm, showing an object quite similar to a clock. "The difference is that its screen is much larger and the special touch glass, so it did not break even with a fall of several meters." Akaashi did not change his expression at all and the older one continued explaining: "We studied the Renegades for a while and I found a way to interfere with their detection system. It is incorporated into the communicator. Therefore, while activated, they will not detect us. Unless they look out the window, of course. Against that we have no defense."

"I thought you worked at the military."

"You are not wrong at all. I am in the military army, yes. But... I love technology, you know? I'm not good with biology, languages, history, or..." Bokuto scratched the inside of his arm visibly uncomfortable. "Well, all those fields shrewd people do. All I am good at is doing these things and fighting." He had looked away and Akaashi was surprised to witness the insecure facet of the tallest. The leader's son also had his weaknesses. "Sometimes, when my family doesn't realize, I help Satori with some improvements. Ah, but you can't tell anyone, please!"

The bicolor-haired man joined both hands in front of his chest and bowed his head pleadingly.

"Why not?" Actually, Akaashi would keep his secret, after all he was his bodyguard and the elder's confidence was vital to keep him safe. However, he had aroused his curiosity.

"Because if they find out..." A tremor on the floor, lightly but noticeable, caused the boy to shut up. He stopped and his golden orbs roamed the surroundings. The ruins remained silent, like the rest of the desert. The only thing changed was the position of the sun, which now stood above their heads and its heat hit them harder. "Have you noticed it?"

But he didn’t. Akaashi had not felt anything out of the ordinary, beyond the fear he had suddenly possessed to the honey-colored eyes. He denied, but it bothered Bokuto even more. Finally, he did not separate them from the half-demolished building more than a couple of steps. They would place the other devices and hide together with Kageyama. The mission would almost be over for them.

Bokuto did not advance. He remained static, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Bokuto, what...?" When the boy's green orbs followed the path of his protégé, he realized that it was too late.

They had made a fatal mistake. They assumed that the only defense the Renegades would have were the locators.

The mine Akaashi stepped on exploded.

  * ✦───────────•✧

What woke Akaashi was the strong pain in his shoulder. As if they were crushing it against the ground. He opened his eyes, but his vision was blurred. He distinguished three silhouettes: two standing, and a third trend on his body. It must be what caused the pain. He tried to move forward, but all he was capable to was to let out a growl because of his shoulder. The pain was intense, miles of swords digging into his joint.

At last the sight cleared. He looked at his shoulder and understood the cause of such tremendous discomfort: his suit had been broken as a result of the explosion and the shrapnel had stuck in his body. He was bleeding heavily, but because of the location of the metal plates embedded, his life was not in danger unless he stayed there bleeding out.

"...We are running out of time. Can you take this one?"

Akaashi's eyes searched for the origin of the voice, finding him in a short boy, one of the figures he had seen when he woke up. Now he distinguished his infantile features, his thin body, and that colorful blond strand that stood out among his brown hair. The stranger approached him and carried on his shoulder the body landed on him with a force that, if Akaashi had been in a state of non-stunning, would have surprised him.

The bodyguard watched him drag him away from there. He felt nothing beyond the pain in his shoulder, it had completely occupied his thoughts. Until his gaze met the face of the unconscious body.

It was Bokuto. Although it was not easy to distinguish it because of the blood tflowing from his forehead and covering half of his face. Because of the dark color of the suit he was not able to find out if he had more wounds, but he counted on it after such an explosion.

And memories came to him at once, like a movie put in his head at full speed.

When Akaashi stepped on the mine, Bokuto threw himself at him seconds before it exploded. Bokuto had warned it before the dark-haired. Bokuto used his body as a shield.

The person to whom he had to protect was the one who had covered him.

To what extent was Bokuto an idiot? Akaashi did not understand, no matter how much he thought about it, why the golden-eyed man had put his life in danger for him.

"Leave him..." He tried to sound menacing, but the murmur sounded in his mouth resembled a plea rather.

"I'm sorry, it's our duty." The big man with long hair in a careless bun spoke. "You shouldn't have come."

In the distance he distinguished the unmistakable sound of shots. Possibly the other renegades would already be acting. 

"Nishinoya, we should go."

Perhaps in those moments his companions were dead, or as injured as they were. What Akaashi was clear was that, from that position, no one would see them. Kageyama was too far away to see them and much more to even cover them with his shots. There was no one to help them.

Keiji cursed internally. To the Renegades for having set that trap. To Bokuto for had saved him. But, more than them, to himself for not being able to see it coming. For not have done his job.

Now their lives were in the hands of the Renegades.


	4. ─── ❪❪ Oikawa & Iwaizumi ❫❫ ───

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A punch stopped him. Oikawa's body was shot down and hit the ground fully. Right next to the mountain of clothes that would have cushioned the fall. Iwaizumi threw himself on him and grabbed Oikawa by the collar of the suit. In his gaze Oikawa saw so much anger, so much hate. For the first time in a long time he was speechless.

The sound of the explosion dragged everyone away from their thoughts. The fire was sudden, a burst of lights, which disappeared leaving a column of smoke that got lost in the sky.

"Oikawa..." Iwaizumi called.

"Yes, I know."

The aforementioned activated the device on his wrist and located all his members. Ushijima remained on the right flank, where he was supposed to be, several meters from where Iwaizumi and Oikawa were waiting. Hanamaki and Matsukawa covered the left side. Kageyama was almost undetectable, located high on one of the mountains of sand and hidden among the ruins of what once must have been a great building. Still the detector could locate it. Bokuto and Akaashi were the remaining two.

The commander cursed when he found it. As he suspected, Akaashi and Bokuto’s points were right where the explosion had taken place.

He turned to Iwaizumi, but from his face Oikawa understood he already knew what was happening. So, instead of explaining the obvious, he activated the communicator.

"Bokuto, Akaashi, do you hear me?" He asked, his tone firmer than normal.

Silence. All team members listened to the commander's voice, but none would think of intervening if it was not an emergency. He waited a couple of minutes. There was no answer. _ Shit, something must have happened to them_.

He closed his eyes and deep breathed. He must think clearly. What could have happened? Evidently the most logical option was to assume it had been an enemy attack. To annul his presence under the enemy’s locators was not a perfect hiding and many things could fail; Oikawa knew it, but it was a risk he had to assume. 

If it was the case, they would have to go for Bokuto and Akaashi; if they knew he was the son of the leader of their antagonists and the Renegades captured him they would have an ace under his sleeve that could decide the fate of mankind.

However, there was a second option Oikawa also considered, but was something he didn’t like to think. The devices they worked with were highly effective, a technology never seen before, but the problem was they were very unstable gadgets. A fault, even the smallest, and the palace where the leader resided could explode through the air. If Bokuto had made a mistake then it was almost certain they would not stay alive and go looking for them would be a stupid recklessness that would possibly kill them all. Because it was obvious that his enemies, with that explosion, would have left their hiding place prepared for an attack.

As the squad commander, the action decision rested directly over Oikawa.

Should he hold on to Bokuto's technical knowledge and professionalism or his impulsiveness and hyperactivity which tended to drag him into danger?

He tilted his face, meeting his partner's olive eyes. Iwaizumi had not uttered a single word, but it was not necessary. It was obvious to Oikawa he knew the doubts hidden in his head, no matter how much the commander hid them in front of others. Iwaizumi had always managed to read it as an open book. And yet, despite his hesitations, he did not intervene. Iwaizumi trusted his commander's trial.

"Attention." Oikawa sighed and signaled Iwaizumi to move. He nodded and crawled across the sand. "Bokuto and Akaashi do not answer. We will infer the desert protocol and assume the enemy had made it. We will move on to the A-10 tactic." As soon as he saw his companion was on the edge of the ruins, the commander began to move to the opposite side. "Our goal now is to recover Bokuto and Akaashi as soon as possible and liquidate the enemies that cross our path. We don't ask, we shoot. The operation will begin in five seconds from now."

He searched Iwaizumi for any trace which would indicate if he thought it was a bad or good idea, but Oikawa only found an absolute determination. Iwaizumi did not doubt his orders; if they came from him, he would abide by them without asking questions. Regardless of whether or not he agreed.

The countdown reached zero and, with a perfect synchrony exclusively achieved by those who worked together for years, they jumped the semi-collapsed wall behind where they were hiding. The wide desert received them with a slap of hot air that they had avoided thanks to the rocks which served as a shield. They didn't care and kept moving forward. In the Oikawa’s hands there were two double guns prepared, loaded, and ready to be used. Iwaizumi, on the other hand, was holding a powerful machine gun. In absence of aim, a weapon like it served to compensate.

"_Oikawa, right. _" Satori's voice rang in his ear and he didn't hesitate.

He turned in a second and shot in the chest the woman who had approached them.

"_Iwaizumi, two on the left._" The aforementioned dodged the bullets thanks to his reflexes and, from the ground, a blast struck down the two foes.

Satori was the best controller Oikawa could ask for: his detection systems were infallible and fast. He possessed the inhuman ability to foresee even where the opponents would appear or what inconveniences would arise. Tendō didn't waste a second, and it meant the difference between live or die. Removing his eccentric personality and desire to bother anyone around him, Satori was an excellent companion.

"How far are we?" Tendō didn't answer and Oikawa had no choice but to wait for him to do it.

"Oikawa!" He turned and found the barrel of Iwaizumi's gun pointed at him. Shooting. Iwaizumi took him by the collar of the jacket and pulled him. "Don't let your guard down, idiot!"

"_One hundred meters. The last sign is that. Oh, and Oikawa… _ " The voice of Tendō, who had finally spoken, was loaded with that mockery that was driving the commander out of his mind. " _ Let them kill you so easily, this way Wakatoshi will be the commander _."

"What a pity that the only way for Ushiwaka to get my job is if I die and not because of his own merits."

There was no reply from the other boy and Oikawa smiled satisfied knowing that he had won the assault.

_ I wish I could say the same about the mission_, he thought. 

They managed to bring down the renegades who approached them. A single building separated them from their objective. They only had to reach it, cross it or surround it, and they would arrive. With a little luck Bokuto and Akaashi would be presenting battle and with the reinforcements they could leave that one.

"_W__ow, wow... _ " The commander frowned as he ducked to dodge a bullet and shot down a new enemy. The redhead had spoken again, but not to release a scathing comment to Oikawa, which indicated there was no good news. "_I detect something strange in the area, I think it is... _"

"Traps." Oikawa stopped and turned around to watch Iwaizumi, who had finished the sentence for the redhead. His right leg was forward and stepped on something metallic.

Nothing exploded this time. An almost imperceptible click was heard instead.

"Down!" He shouted as he and his partner threw themselves on the sand.

If his reflexes had been a little slower, a single second, dozens of lasers would passed through the air and have killed him instantly. They managed to dodge them all. Or almost everyone. A stab of pain pierced Oikawa's arm, from his forearm to his shoulder. He didn't need a look to know that surely one of those lasers struck his right. But time was finite. Worrying about a non-fatal injury was losing it for nothing.

Steps in the sand were getting closer and closer and the voices intensified.

"_Get out of there! Now! They are surrounding you! They are… Fuck. Get out, they are like… Ten _!" The communication was interrupted. Oikawa made a sign to Iwaizumi and they got up at the same time.

"How could they have grouped so fast?" Iwaizumi asked between breath and breath.

"I do not know." Replied the commander without slowing down. He tripped, but Iwaizumi took him by the arm so he wouldn't fall. He winked because of the pain that shook him. "But it seems they already knew. They were prepared."

The door of the building consisted of a disheveled frame, half buried in the sand, and the glass that once belonged to a window, now served more as a blade to pierce the flesh of whoever approached. If he had more time, the one with brown eyes would have broken it completely with his weapon and then they would make it through. However, now the bullets passed rubbing them and their pursuers surrounded them. He did not hesitate for a moment. He sped up, ahead of Iwaizumi, and slammed his shoulder against the shattered window instantly. The suit had a thick protection, but the impact on the ground several meters made a new shock of pain hit him. He growled and rose carefully, using his uninjured arm.

"Are you crazy, Shittykawa!?" Shouted an annoyed Iwaizumi, kneeling beside him. He checked that no real harm had been done. "How do you think of throwing yourself against a window without even knowing what's on the other side? You could have thrown yourself downstairs!"

"Iwa, are you my bodyguard or what?" He winked and made Iwaizumi's eyes darken. "Sorry, sorry! It was just a joke."

They could not continue with the conversation because a series of shadows were placed around the window. Both seraphim pointed their respective weapons at the window opening as they backed away. It was dangerous to stay so close; with an explosive or a smoke bomb they would catch them by surprise.

Step by step they went through what Oikawa imagined should be the last floor of a shopping center. Or it was before the war. The floor was a mountain of shabby clothes, pieces of dummies and crystals. The dust surrounded them with every little movement and forced Oikawa to cough. It seemed the place had been abandoned for a while, which the commander found strange. Didn't the Renegades have looted it? Why not if it was an enclosure right next to its base? It was weird. However, he couldn't think more about it.

  * ✦───────────•✧

The beep in his ears was what woke him up. It pierced his head from side to side, like a spear. Bokuto growled and tried to silence the hellish sound covering his ears. It did not work. To make it worse, his headache hurt him if his head had been used as a baseball. Everything was spinning and he felt dizzy even if he was lying down.

He tried to remember the last events of his life, but his head was unable to function clearly because of his condition. A faint groan escaped his lips and, if he had been in full capacity, he would have heard the sound of a few steps behind him.

After almost five minutes fighting against himself, when the beep became less intense and the pain eased, he opened his eyes. He was greeted by a rocky wall, covered by moss (or at least he wanted to think it was what was hidden in the holes formed on the stones). A drop of water fell from the roof over his nose. It managed to finish waking him up and Bokuto tried to get up on the wet and cold ground. A simple gesture like pushing himself up caused a new wave of pain to take over his head. But it also served to remember the last events of his life.

The devices. The serene voice of Akaashi. The sound caused by the trap he stepped on. A burst that made his eardrums cry red tears. And then everything turned into a darkness which devoured and plunged him into the most absolute darkness. Akaashi! Would he have been saved or hurt? The concern came as suddenly as a lightning bolt and turned to see if, for a casual, his bodyguard was behind him.

What he found, however, did not relieve him at all. In front of Bokuto there were only cells, all of them empty and arranged side by side. They were in the same unfortunate state as his, with the only difference that the one held him had a small bed. In the hall two figures turned to him, both armed with machine guns, but totally different from those used by the seraphim.

"Wow, wow, you've already woken up." The tallest of the two spoke, a shaven man who had approached the bars and watched him with contempt, trying to intimidate him. However its effect was just the opposite. Bokuto found his faces rather funny.

"Who are you? Where I am?"

"You are right where you wanted to be." Continued the shaven one. "In the base you intended to destroy."

It did not take more for the pieces to fit the bicolor hair's mind. He had been taken to the base of the Renegades. He crawled to the bars. A current ran through him and he let out a groan. Electrified.

"Where is ‘Kaashi?" None of the two answered him. The shaven kept walking from side to side while the lower one, with a blond strand, watched him. His gaze was fixed. He seemed to be scrutinizing even the smallest detail.

It was obvious to Bokuto that they were not going to tell him anything. Bokuto sighed and lay down again on the icy floor. How could he escape from this situation? Could he count on Oikawa and the others? Of course; They would not leave him. The problem was if they would be able to penetrate the Renegade’s base. They didn't know the place, that was the truth. The team had studied the outskirts and their plan was based entirely on the outside: throw it down, without further ado.

Sigh. No, what really worried him was the state of Akaashi. He had interposed himself between him and the explosion, but what if somehow the worst part had been taken by the pretty-eyed? The bicolor-haired man didn't care at all Akaashi was the bodyguard; the brunette liked him, considered him a partner, and would give his life for any of his companions. Fortunately, the explosion had not been strong enough to kill them, which meant the Renegades had the intention to keep them alive. That was why he had been locked up. So the possibility that Akaashi was still alive was high. It gave him some space to calm.

"Hey, Noya, have you seen Kiyoko today? She wore her hair in a braid and...!" The shaven sighed and, in another occasion, Bokuto would have found it funny. "I told her she was beautiful and, you know what?"

The other boy turned to him with a glow in his eyes. Apparently he had managed to get all his attention. Curiosity also stung Bokuto. Overall, there was nothing more interesting there than listening to the conversation between his captors.

"He looked at me with an indifference that made me shiver. The best moment of the day, bro."

The shorter one approached him with sudden seriousness and placed his hand on his partner's shoulder.

"When he ignores you is the best, isn’t it?" The opposite nodded solemnly. Bokuto understood absolutely nothing, but the curious duo was at least entertaining.

"We cannot let those up there put their hands on her. Our mission is to protect Kiyoko from all evil. For Kiyoko’s sake, bro."

"For Kiyoko’s sake." The other replied and both spat in his hands. Then they joined them.

It would have been scary or disgusting to anyone, but it was the same thing he did with his Kubro so that gesture reached his heart. They must be very close. The Renegades, despite how they were described in Capital, were people. Just like the inhabitants of the floating city. People who had not been lucky enough to reach the top and were forced to survive fighting. Bokuto could understood it. But they opposed them, the inhumans, that's why he fought against them.

"Hey, you." The blonde strand boy turned to Bokuto, who couldn't help but be surprised. The two-colored hair crawled until it was a few inches from the bars which imprisoned him.

"Nishinoya, what are you doing? We shouldn't talk to him." The shaven had approached Nishinoya worried, but his gaze was fixed on Bokuto.

"Yeah, I know: don't talk to the prisoners and bla bla bla. But I want to ask him something and it's not like it's going to hurt us either." He shrugged. "Anyway, with me here you have nothing to fear, Ryu!"

The so-called Ryu laughed, raised his chin and crossed his arms.

"It is true! Well, go ahead."

Bokuto had to admit that, much to his regret, he liked the two Renegades.

"Up there..." Nishinoya pointed to the ceiling from which drops continually fell; Bokuto understood what he was referring to. Capital, the floating city. "Are we famous? The Thunder and Iron Hammer."

The leader's son nodded vigorously and crawled to face them.

"Is it you!?" He didn't even bother to make his tone calm. "Of course we know you! There are Wanted holograms of you throughout the city. The Thunder! Known because he have electrocuted more than twenty seraphim. Iron Hammer, one of the strongest physically warriors, able to break through our soldiers with just his hammer. You are awesome, guys!"

Bokuto's words were enough for those two to inflate their lungs, proud, and place their hands on their waist.

"Of course we are! How are they not going to know us?"

"We are the fucking best!" The two boys clasped their hands hard. "We have to tell Kiyoko. You will see how she is impressed."

Ryu nodded.

"Who else do you know up there?"

"The most famous are the warriors of The Hand." The golden-eyed man raised his right hand with a finger on top. "The Crow of Destruction, which we believe is the leader of the Renegades." Bokuto was not the smartest person in the world, but because of the way they both looked away, he knew he was right. Crow was the leader of the Renegades, although neither his real name nor his face was known. "The Angel of Death, the best shooter of the Renegades, but disappeared a few years ago; we do not know why." He raised a third finger. "The Revenant Shadow, the most lethal melee killer of the Renegades; They say once he crosses your path you don't live to tell it. Finally, The Chaos Surgeon and Hawkeye." An idea crossed the head of the tallest and rose enthusiastically, winning, but, a severe headache forced him to sit with his hands on his temples. "They are here? Can I meet them?"

"Isn't it scary to be before your enemies?"

"Fear?" Asked Bokuto. He shrugged as he wiped his finger. When he saw it, he noticed that the yolk was covered by a red liquid. Blood. "Not much."

"Hey you, you should be scared, they are no minnows!" Exclaimed Ryu exalted.

"It's not that I don't respect them. Quite the opposite! But if you are going to kill me or hurt me... There is nothing I can do." Bokuto's eyes darkened, only a few seconds. He deep down knew he was not going to have more harm than he had already suffered, and that was why he was not afraid of his situation. "Besides, I really would like to meet such impressive people. Would you not like to have your greatest enemies before you? Compare your strength with theirs?"

"I hate to say that but… you are really cool."

The echo of the shots and a body falling on the shingles made the bicolor hair jump and crawl until his back hit the wall. The lowest of the pair of guards lay on the ground.

"Noya!" Shouted Ryu and, the second he turned his head to look at his partner, was enough for a projectile to hit his neck.

In less than a blink the boy followed the renegade and collapsed.

Fearing to be the next target, Bokuto searched the cell for some way to escape or fight. Uselessly. If he faced someone his chances were reduced to knock him down tied to his hand or resort to his emergency plan. He took his left hand to his back pocket pants and felt an object no larger than his thumb. _ Well, it's still there _. The leader’s son was not going to use it, but it sounded better than to be shot dead by whoever it was.

A shadow was finally shaped in front of the golden-eyed field of vision; first long, then thinner, until he drew a silhouette the size of a human. A pair of black boots, high and military style, carefully pulled away Nishinoya’s body. The mysterious one bent down and took the pulse of both. Bokuto heard a sigh from the black-haired boy that had appeared, but was unable to tell whether it was a relieved or worried sigh. Did they live or have they died? It was impossible to say.

The stranger finally got up and turned on his heels.

Finally Bokuto saw the person who had killed the two Renegades.

"Akashee!"

The aforementioned pointed Bokuto with his weapon fearing he was a soldier who did not perceive before. When Akaashi discovered he was the person he was looking for, let a sigh escape his battered lips.

"Bokuto. Are you okay?" He asked and his hand approached dangerously to the bars of the cell.

"Don’t!" Akaashi stopped dead and blinked confused. "They are electrified." The golden-eyed man explained and the bodyguard relaxed. "And I am…" He paused. He was not going to tell him the truth: his ears, head and practically his whole body ached because of the explosion. He didn't want to acknowledge that, by his own stupidity, he had ended up hurt. "At least my eyebrows don't hurt so I guess it could be worse."

The ear-to-ear smile he drew convinced Akaashi as he nodded. The bodyguard put the gun in his belt and backed up a couple steps.

Bokuto took the opportunity to scan the young man. He moved with his usual elegance so he assumed he had not hurt his legs. His torso seemed intact as well; Akaashi had crouched normally when he analyzed the status of the two Renegades. Possibly the bodyguard would have had bruises from the explosion, but nothing more serious. When he reached his shoulders, however, his eyes widened. The fabric of the uniform had torn to him where a wound rested bathed in the dark blood of the curly hair man. It was a deep cut from which a worrying amount of blood still flowed, the size of the bicolor index.

"Akaashe," he called to get his attention while the brunette had sat up to search through the clothes of the two bodies, "your shoulder. That seems serious. You have to get out of here to be treated as soon as possible."

Bokuto's comment prompted Akaashi to leave what he was doing to turn to the top with a grimace of disbelief on his face, as if he did not quite believe that Kōtarō cared for him.

"I'll be fine, Bokuto." It was all his brief response and Akaashi resumed his chores until he finally raised his arm with a shiny object on it. "The main thing now is to get you out of here and return with the others."

The cell opened and Akaashi approached to help the leader’s son to rise despite the fact he refused several times. Up close, the wound looked even worse and Bokuto wondered how he was able to endure the pain without even a grimace on his face. Would that be part of the military training that most bodyguards had received or part of the boy's stoic character?

He stood up easily. The problem came when strong pain struck his head without warning, as if he had been hit with a hammer. He let out a groan and grabbed the back of his head.

"All right, Bokuto?"

He nodded. If they were late because of that and something happened to Akaashi again he would never be forgiven.

  * ✦───────────•✧

"Let me see your arm." Demanded Iwaizumi.

He had extended his hand to Oikawa and his penetrating gaze did not release him even for a moment. It was clear that Iwaizumi knew his partner and his tendency to hide everything which made him look weak. Oikawa shook his head.

"It's not necessary, I am perfect. Either way."

A growl escaped Iwaizumi's lips and raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay." He agreed before the olive-eyed man decided to give him a slap or something similar.

The commander extended his arm, revealing this way the wound he had made by crossing the glass. It was about five centimeters long, and its width did not reach one. The blood was no longer coming out, so the loss of blood was not seen as a real problem. Despite this, there were a couple of crystals embedded in it, which caused the pain in Oikawa's arm. He had suffered much worse wounds so he did not give much importance to a not lethal injury.

"It's not deep, but it doesn't look good." Iwaizumi scrutinized every inch of the highest arm. "I am going to look for something to bind up it."

The one with brown hair got up, but not too much. He could still glimpse the shadows through the window, indicating that the Renegades were still waiting for them. Possibly it would become a resistance race.

Iwaizumi, squatting, toured the area in search of anything he could use as an impromptu band. He pulled out sneakers, clothes too small to be useful, books, and even a soccer ball. When he finally reached the fashion section, he picked up a shirt that was thin and long enough to tear it apart. Then he picked up a bottle of vodka that someone had left lying there (he did not understand how he had reached the fashion section, but he did not ask too many questions because of the shortage of time they had) and returned with Oikawa.

"Aw, Iwa, you care about me." Oikawa gave him a flirtatious glance and received a blow in the shoulder from his partner.

"Is not that." He growled. Iwaizumi tattered the garment he had borrowed and carefully held the commander's arm. "A sick or dead Oikawa is by far worst to handle than a common Oikawa."

"Why do I feel like you talk about me like I am a Pokemon?" The finger of the lower one brushed the wound until it reached one of the pieces of glass. It was not difficult to remove it. A stab of pain made Oikawa shout, "Iwa!"

"Don't complain, that doesn't hurt." Lied the head of the bodyguards. Of course it hurt, he knew it well, but if he gave his partner the reason his complaints would be worse. Much worse. "And, hm, don't compare yourself to a Pokemon. It's not fair to insult them this way."

"But Iwa! Do not be so mean. I'm badly hurt, be more careful with me."

Oikawa did not know, but Iwaizumi was always cautious with him. Perhaps if he looked more at the details, he would realize how he had removed the crystal at one time so that the pain appeared only once. Or how, at each uncomfortable grimace of the commander, Iwaizumi stopped and waited for his expression to soften. The boy studied Oikawa without him noticing.

"Don't tell me you are going to get drunk now." Iwaizumi had taken the bottle of alcohol and soaked the makeshift rag made with the shirt. "What's more, don't tell me you're NOT going to give me a little."

"Yes, Oikawa, we are in the midst of a mission, surrounded by enemies and wounded, and I will use vodka to get drunk." As Oikawa did not detect the sarcasm in his voice, he rolled his eyes and explained, "It is to disinfect the wound, idiot."

The cloth absorbed all the vodka Iwaizumi poured on it. Oikawa was tempted to ask his partner for just one drink. Not because his arm ached (although it could be), but because worry began to take its toll on him. The mission meant everything to the tallest and he had the feeling that everything around him crumbled without even realizing it.

While Iwaizumi was dedicated to sliding the shirt over his wound, he examined that place. The mall. What would have happened when the war broke out? Who would be buying then? There were clothes, equipment and various things thrown on the floor in no order, so he imagined that this would have been the scene of numerous battles. However, it must also have been the refuge for some survivors. He spotted a stuffed animal not far from him. It was an alien. Instinctively he smiled. Until he realized the alien's skin was originally not red. It was blood. It might be of a child clinging to his favorite stuffed animal before… Oikawa looked away from the toy at his own thoughts. He was a soldier, he knew better than anyone the horrors of war, but he didn't even want to imagine what it should be like in which three quarters of the population was annihilated. All for human greed. He knew he was selfish sometimes, like everyone, and competitive. But he ignored how a person could kill so many people just for more power. Would he be able? No, of course not. He was not a monster. But ... hadn't many monsters ever been human? If the right circumstances occurred, wouldn't he be able too?

"Ready." Iwaizumi pulled him from his reveries when he removed the cloth and announced it was over.

"Thank you." He sketched the best of his smiles, as if his head had not made him imagine the body of a child clinging to a stuffed animal. "I am still surprised at how good you are with this. Something you want to confess?"

The look that the bodyguard gave him was enough to make Oikawa wish he had shut up.

"That you are an idiot." The opposite got up and helped Oikawa do the same. "Move, I don't like this place, there are too many windows nearby."

They discovered that the mall had five floors, although the first three were impossible to visit because the sand had filtered through windows, walls and doors completely devouring them. That left only two floors through which the two soldiers circulated with the weapons always in front prepared for a possible ambush. Iwaizumi was ahead with the machine gun. His equipment was much more prepared for an ambush so he did not accept Oikawa came first, even if he reminded Iwaizumi several times he was the commander. When it came to the safety of the highest Iwaizumi did not hesitate.

The sun had dropped considerably since they came down to The Ground and threw the twisted shadows of the mannequins and the two soldiers on the ground. These mixed with those of other objects Oikawa did not distinguish. He looked away before beginning to ask himself questions that perhaps it would be better to ignore.

"Maybe there is… Hm… You know, a place where we can get out without the Renegades knowledgement." Oikawa bent down and picked up a piece of feminine lingerie full of dust he placed on his chest as the commander posed comically. "Do you think this would suit me?"

"You would look better with a gag on your mouth." Iwaizumi muttered after taking a quick look at his partner. He preferred not to imagine it with those clothes. For the sake of both of them. "I have no idea, but I imagine if there is one, it is probably there. If we are lucky it will not be boarded up by the sand."

"You are awful!" He threw the bra over Iwaizumi’s head and it hung. Iwaizumi took it off and threw it hard to Oikawa, but he dodged it. "We should find it before the Renegades do it. But don't you think it is kinda weird they haven't tried to assault us? They are more than us and they are armed too. Why haven't they entered yet? Besides…" Now that Oikawa was starting to spin the idea, doubts assaulted him. He put his hand to his mouth and bit the nail of his thumb, thoughtfully. "Let's see, it is logical to think that they will have come here before, right? There are resources, things they can use." He pointed with both hands the surroundings that showed signs of having been looted at some point. "That means... " He denied the idea that came to him. "No, it makes no sense..."

"What are you thinking about?"

The commander suddenly stopped and Iwaizumi imitated him, turning to him. Iwaizumi knew him too well. As much as to know that he was analyzing the situation because something did not add up. Iwaizumi did not have his ability to detect when a problem lurked, but he could see it in his partner. So he held the gun tighter, watching the surroundings. But there was absolutely nothing to attract attention. It was an abandoned place trapped by the desert and vines that, because of radiation, stood colossal around the walls of that place.

"I think they know this place much better than we do. If there are windows from which to access or shoot…" The taller one pointed to the top of the mall. Several windows, all of them broken, filtered the sun's rays. "Look, like those. But they are not there. It is strange."

"They may have forgotten. Or they expect us to go out where we have entered without looking for another way out."

"No, that makes no sense. If they were idiots, yes, but seeing how they have cornered us, I don't believe it. There is some reason why they have not yet entered. It seems they want us to find a way out and use it. That or…" The boy's eyes widened and Iwaizumi knew he had found the answer.

However, he did not express it because he was interrupted by the communicator.

"_Oikawa, Iwaizumi, we have problems. _ " Tendō sounded worried, and it meant something serious had happened. "_The Renegades have located Kageyama. He has abandoned his position and is fleeing from those who persecute him, but it does not seem to be easy. There are more than seven and with a long distance rifle..._"

It was not necessary for the redhead to explain what it meant. Oikawa was perfectly aware Kageyama need time to shoot with his weapon. In a closer fight his weapon was useless. If he wanted to save himself, he had to find a good hiding place.

Oikawa sighed and ran his hand across his forehead, pulling a couple of unruly strands of his hair. The situation was complicated every second. Without Bokuto's explosives, they couldn't distract them by collapsing the building. In addition to the possibility that he and Akaashi were nearby and injured. Not to mention that, if they lost the leader's son, he would be dead and buried before the day was over. Of course, if that were not enough, he had now lost his only sniper.

"_Commander_," This time the one who spoke through the communicator was Hanamaki, "_I don’t want to add pressure, but we are stuck. Like, you know, really stuck. _"

A shadow peeked through the window with the intention of entering, but thanks to Iwaizumi's shots, it quickly backed away. _ Already, you are not the only ones in that situation,_ Oikawa thought bitterly.

"_We are not far from your position, but we cannot leave the ruins, they are more than us. As we poke our heads, they will blow us away_."

Oikawa bit the nail of her thumb, with a smile on his lips. Nor could he count on Hanamaki and Matsukawa. Moreover, he had to figure out how they could get out of that situation alive.

"Ushijima." Oikawa called.

The soldier did not answer. He tried again for three minutes, but nobody answered.

"_Oikawa, bad news._" When Tendō's mocking tone was gone, Oikawa knew what was coming next. "_I had a vision. In about half an hour there will be a sandstorm. If you are out by then you will die. It is not that I care, but maybe you should find a solution to your stupid plan._"

The commander turned off the communicator. No one but Iwaizumi would hear him.

"Fuck!" Oikawa roared, throwing a couple of boxes with flour inside.

His smile twisted completely, turning it into an unpleasant grimace.

"Oikawa ..." Iwaizumi called, but the aforementioned turned to him and fell silent.

"Don't say my name anymore unless it is to give me some damn good news."

The boy dropped his body on the floor as long as it was. Everything. Absolutely everything that could go wrong had happened. If anyone doubted Murphy's law it was because he had not witnessed the mission. He placed all his eggs in one basket, the operation which turned to be a complete failure. At best, he would get out of there, rescue his teammates, and return to Capital to face the leader. He would lose his position, leave the palace humiliated for life, end up wandering until the seraphim found him and would be thrown down the precipice of the floating city. He would die before hitting the ground and his body would serve as food for any creature. Yes, it would probably happened. Or maybe the Renegades would find him before and his body would be object of his mockery. At worst, he would die right there. Although, depending on how you look, perhaps that was not the most unfavorable option. Perhaps now that the possibility of choosing his death was tangible would be the best. Decide what your last moments would be like. He could still get Iwaizumi not to suffer reprisals for his ineptitude as a commander and strategist.

"I am going out." He said suddenly. Iwaizumi looked at him as if he were crazy. "Leave me your machine gun. I will finish those at the entrance and then go for Hanamaki and Matsukawa. When you have green light go out and take Bokuto." The one with brown hair got up and replaced his suit. He smirked. The commander looked at Iwaizumi with his chin raised. "I will not let the stupid Ushijima save us and take all the glory..."

A punch stopped him. Oikawa's body was shot down and hit the ground fully. Right next to the mountain of clothes that would have cushioned the fall. Iwaizumi threw himself on him and grabbed Oikawa by the collar of the suit. In his gaze Oikawa saw so much anger, so much hate. For the first time in a long time he was speechless.

"I know you are a jerk, but also a suicidal?!" He yelled. Iwaizumi's saliva hit his cheeks. "Have you given up!? Everything goes wrong, seems lost, and…" Iwaizumi’s body was shaking, unable to contain his anger, "you just decide to go out alone and sacrifice yourself for us?" Oikawa was paralyzed by Iwaizumi's grip, but even more by his words. The bodyguard had guessed exactly what he thought. "Have you asked us if we want you to do that, uh, asshole? Or have you even tried to think of a plan?"

A sarcastic laugh emanated from Oikawa’s mouth and his eyes avoided Iwaizumi’s gaze. He looked through the tide of destruction that damn mall was. 

"It is the best. Thus Ushijima will be the commander. It is how it should be..."

This time what he received from the olive-eyed was a header which caused an intense pain. It spread across his forehead. Iwaizumi grabbed him tighter and pulled him closer.

"Stop victimizing yourself in a damn way and wake up! You have worked harder than any of us. You are enough! You are qualified enough for this fucking job, stupid!" Iwaizumi shook Oikawa again and again, as if he was a doll. Oikawa did not resist. "I voted you, Oikawa. Do you know why? I want you to be my commander, not Ushijima! Hanamaki, Matsukawa, Bokuto, even Kenma! Everyone voted for you. They trust you. If you surrender this way, you will be insulting all of us who believe in you. You are able to think of something to get out of this, so, commander, recover from a fucking time! Or are we all wrong with you!?"

The only sound heard was Iwaizumi's fast breathing. He hadn't looked away from Oikawa for a single second, but his grip was loosening until it became a threat but a lifesaver. He held his commander as if he was his last option to survive. Somehow it was, and they knew it. It was unfortunate to see Oikawa in that state, one only Iwaizumi had seen. But nobody imagined everything happened in the head of his partner. His arrogant superiority, his ambition to be number one, hid a man whose insecurities had made him strong, yes, but they were also one of his weakest points. Oikawa was not a genius, he was not invincible. He made mistakes. What set it apart from others was that he always kept going on. And who was often pushing him not to be left behind, was Iwaizumi.

He laughed. It was a sincere laugh that sprang from his throat. Iwaizumi blinked perplexed, not understanding. Oikawa sat up and the bodyguard stepped aside to allow him to get up.

"I can remember how you were the one telling me I was a dramatic queen… Fuck… It is kinda funny, you know?" He shrugged, narrowing his eyes. "But you are damn right. I don't know when you got so freaking cool, Iwa, and frankly I envy you right now. I won’t let Ushiwaka defeat me again."

From that height, sitting in worn clothes, Iwaizumi could see the figure of Oikawa perfectly. He had returned that arrogant smile he always made fun of, his model pose (as if the world were his personal stage) and a veiled shadow in his eyes. The corners of the lower lips curved slightly.

"Everyone, listen up!" He had turned on the communicator and now everyone was listening. "I have a plan."


	5. ─── ❪❪ Run and hide ❫❫ ───

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not even five seconds passed when a loud explosion behind them knocked down the Renegades’ base. Akaashi, who clung to his battered shoulder, watched how the building become ruins. The people there were... Would anyone survive? How many lives would be lost?
> 
> What Akaashi did not know is that he had not seen the real horrors that The Ground hid. But it would not take long until he discovered it. Until all of them discovered it.

The space in the corridors of the base was reduced. The only way two people could move side by side would be if one went sideways. It was not a suitable place for claustrophobes. The roof was so low that, if Bokuto had jumped, he would have hit it. The only positive factor was the temperature. It had risen a couple of degrees. Akaashi and Bokuto ran through an endless ramp full of detours. Kōtarō ignored how Akaashi was able to guide himself so easily there. At each intersection he was, the black-haired went straight without hesitation. However, Bokuto noticed that something had changed in his partner. The speed of his gestures was reduced as they advanced, Bokuto imagined the main reason would be the wound which, fortunately, was no longer bleeding. How much blood, however, would Akaashi have lost along the way? How much damage would his body have?

"Kashee, do you know how to get out of here?"

"I guess so. I get some information from one of the soldiers."

"Will you be ok?"

"That’s a question I should ask." Akaashi sighed when he saw how Bokuto was not happy with his answer. "Yes, I will."

It was difficult to calculate how much damage Akaashi had suffered because of his stoic expression and the thick suits they wore, but the mobility of the bodyguard was not as confident as the beginning. Even so, he retained his elegance and grace which had astonished the leader’s son more than once. How was it possible for a person to be so... perfect? That was the only word which could defined the bodyguard. Akaashi was, in Bokuto’s view, someone perfect. He had that air of a mysterious and cold boy that nothing and no one could disturb him. But Bokuto was sure it was just a mask Akaashi put on him to not show how he really was to the first person he met. Akaashi was one of those people whose smile was a gift given only to a couple of humans throughout their lives. How lucky it would be to get to see it!, thought the leader's son. Kōtarō admired Akaashi, it didn't matter they had known each other just for just hours. He knew how to recognize when someone was amazing at first sight, and time just made him right. How else would he be able to endure that wound and free himself from his own captivity? _ He's the kind of man my mother would like to have as her son_. The thought caused a surge of pain from his head and he leaned a few seconds on the wall until he recovered.

"You don’t seem right at all. How much does it really hurt?"

"Not much?"

"This is not the kind of question you can answer with another question."

"I'm fine, Akaashe! My head just hurts, but is nothing more important." Bokuto's genuine smile this time was too tired to even fool himself. It was evident that his condition worsened at times. In fact, every second passed revealed more sequels.

"That is what happens when you throw yourself onto a bomb." Akaashi chided him. "What the hell were you thinking? Am I going to have to worry about your suicidal ideas too?"

"Suicidal ideas?" Bokuto inclined his head slightly. "Isn't it obvious why I did it?"

No. For Akaashi it was not. He did not know anyone so idiotic as to not hesitate before throwing himself onto a bomb, under any circumstances. Even Bokuto, whose mental stability was not so clear.

"I didn’t want you to be hurt." 

His response, so sincere, caused Akaashi to crash like a computer that has been overloaded with too much information. Bokuto was the most direct and authentic person he had ever met and the bodyguard did not know how to deal with him. But... There was something that the bodyguard had in mind: he did not dislike the leader’s son. His eccentric personality, his attachment to someone he had just met, and his genuine smile... He thought everything about him was pure facade. No one could be so perfect. However, now he began to believe that Bokuto was like that. Without cheats. And he liked it.

Finally the bodyguard decided to change his path. Bokuto lost sight of him for a few seconds, and by the time he followed him he found that one of the Renegades had rammed him. Akaashi was caught against the wall. His back hit hard and a grimace of pain appeared on Akaashi's face when the renegade with blond hair and pierced ears literally stuck his finger in the wound on his shoulder. The two-colored one took a step ready to free his partner, but Akaashi did not need help. With an agility that surpassed any other person Kōtarō had seen before, Akaashi rested his leg on the wall and his hands on the shoulders of the nameless blond. It was propelled thanks to the wall and with an acrobatics Akaashi was behind the renegade. He turned with the same elegance that a dancer would do and dealt a precise blow to the neck which left the renegade unconscious. Everything happened in less than thirty seconds and Bokuto was speechless. He already believed that Akaashi was strong, of course, otherwise his mother would not have hired him. And he had also seen that he knew how to handle himself with firearms; he burst the bottle of Oikawa without even aiming. However, he did not think his abilities would reach that extreme. They kept going forward. To each enemy approached them, armed or not, Akaashi neutralized it with chilling precision. His way of fighting... It was not like the seraphims, Bokuto had it very clear. It was elegant but deadly. Fast but precise. It was a long list of perfectly harmonized contradictions. _ Where have he learned to fight like this? _ Bokuto wondered after his bodyguard knocked out a renegade. 

"We are close," said Akaashi. He did not know how he could be sure about it, but he did not ask. The main thing was to keep going on and get out of there.

As the leader’s son passed over the body of one of the Renegades (Bokuto thanked Akaashi for preferring to leave them unconscious rather than using deadly force against them) he bent down and picked up the gun in his belt. He looked at it and sighed. He prayed not to be forced to use it. But, if Akaashi's life was in danger, he would not hesitate.

The corridor they ran through finally widened and brought relief to Bokuto and his broad shoulders. Akaashi had a strong constitution but thinner than Bokuto, in addition to having an enviable mobility the leader’s son could only dream with. Although he knew how to defend himself, he could not do it in such a small place like Akaashi did. If Bokuto would try it, it would have been an obstacle for Akaashi. _ And he would dislike me even more if I hinder him… _ A part of him hated himself for being nothing but a nuisance to the one with beautiful green eyes. Bokuto had wanted the bodyguard to accompany him to show Akaashi his abilities and in the end who had left the other speechless had been Akaashi. His mood began to decline and his steps slowed. However, it was not all due to his habitual _ emo mode _ but because of the headache he still had. It started with a slight discomfort, but now was hitting him with more force. And the same was happening to his ears. Akaashi did not know it, but Bokuto was using his special power into him, that was why his health was getting worse so fast. However… power has its price. 

"Bokuto, are you all right?" Akaashi turned to him with his usual expressionlessness. The bodyguard was intelligent and observant. At the slightest gesture Akaashi was able to see if Bokuto’s condition was good or not.

"Yeah!" He lied and raised his thumb, smiling. This time Akaashi was not so convinced, but he kept moving forward.

"Agashee!" Scream. 

Late.

These halls provided a perfect hiding place for those who knew their secrets thanks to the permanent darkness which reigned there. From the shadows emerged a figure none of them noticed until it pounced on the black-haired and held it with a perfect martial arts key. Akaashi's throat was blocked by the arm of the renegade while a gun aimed directly to his head.

"Back off!" Said Bokuto, who had taken the same time to take out the stolen weapon he now held in front of the stranger.

"I can't do it, I'm sorry," he murmured. With the dim light thrown by the flashlights of the guns, he could see a boy a couple of years younger than him, with green hair and freckles on his cheeks. Unlike the blond who had been knocked out at first or the two guards in his cell, this boy did not seem confident at all. In fact it was rather as if he had been forced to be in that situation.

Bokuto felt a pang of sympathy for him. As much as he had said to himself that he should annihilate those who intruded on Akaashi's life and he would not hesitate, in the moment of truth he was still unable to be the heartless murderer that Capital asked him to be.

"Please," said the minor, pleadingly, "give up. I don't want to hurt you, but I can't let you go."

Although he spoke quietly, the noise drilled Bokuto and he noticed a liquid escaping from his ears. Was he bleeding? It would explain the incessant pain in his head. It was almost a relief to know where it came from.

Those moments of hesitation by Bokuto were enough for Yamaguchi to have the opportunity to aim and shoot him.

The arm that held Akaashi disappeared as soon as the body of the renegade fell to the ground unconscious. The young man's green eyes landed on the leader's son watching the scene with both eyebrows raised in a strange arc. No smoke came from his gun. He was not the one who shot. Akaashi slowly turned the upper part of his torso and met a familiar face approaching them with his back completely straight.

"Can I know what the fuck are you doing with an unmodified gun!?" Oikawa shouted and snatched Bokuto's weapon as if it was an instrument of mass destruction in his hands. He turned to Akaashi and threw the gun he took on the flight. The commander pointed at him with the index. "Never, under any circumstances, let Bokuto fire a gun. Getting shot is better."

"You’re still mad for what happened that day!" Bokuto composed a pot with his lips that failed to soften Oikawa.

"Yeah, because you shot me! In the ass! Kuroo is still laughing because of that!"

Keiji frowned at the slight tremor that shook the body of his protégé. It was almost imperceptible. Surely if the bodyguard had not been trained to detect it, he would never have noticed it. Akaashi was very good at hiding his pain (which fortunately he almost did not feel, he didn't know how or why, but he was not going to complain) but Bokuto was not far behind; Still, it was obvious that he was not having a good time. As little as he liked the boy's screaming attitude, there was a part of him that unconsciously cared about Kōtarō, whether he liked it or not. Akaashi had seen Bokuto lying on the floor with his bloodied face; yes, maybe the Renegades had cleared him when he was unconscious. However, it did not mean they had treated his wounds too. And Oikawa's arm had no better conditions. In conclusion, they were not only outnumbered but in a worse state. If they did not hurry and left there they would end them. And this time they won’t had the opportunity to survive.

Although Akaashi would have liked to know what the two seraphims were talking about and what happened to Oikawa’s ass, he did not ask. His hand had leaned against the wall and caught vibrations; steps approaching slowly but would soon reach them.

"Bokuto, Oikawa, we should get going and get out of here as soon as possible," said the green-eyed one.

"The exit is this way, we will arrive in a few minutes if we hurry," said Oikawa and resumed, leading them where he had arrived.

Akaashi started just behind him, but a blow to the ground forced them both to stop.

Bokuto had collapsed.

"Kou?" The commander called him.

There was no answer.

The bodyguard looked at the man's thrown body and his pulse sped up. Was he dead? No. He definitely could not be. What kind of bodyguard was he if he could not protect the leader’s son? And... He had to recognize it. Akaashi did not want Bokuto to die. He could be screamer, shrill and insufferable, but he was not a bad person. Even more, Akaashi liked Bokuto’s personality. 

Akaashi approached the unconscious young man and took his pulse. He was breathing. Akaashi sighed, still nervous, but Bokuto was alive and it was a load off his mind. If only... If only he had been more aware of his mood... That was what he wanted to rebuke himself. Because the bodyguard had been worried only about getting out of there before it was late. He did not even appreciate that Bokuto maybe would not reach the exit. He thought Bokuto would endure. The bodyguard clenched both fists and bit the inside of his cheek. Bokuto arrived with his face covered in blood, how had he thought he was really well?

"He has fainted, but he’s... fine. At least for now." Said the black-haired one. He took the golden-eyed one arms with great delicacy and placed them on his shoulders. Akaashi threw his body behind him and stood up.

_ Bokuto weakness #1: He cares too much about everyone surrounding him but not about himself. _Akaashi booked it into his memory. He was sure he could make an entire list about Bokuto’s weaknesses, and probably it would help him at some point.

The ground shook with a tremor.

"Don’t worry, our team did it," explained Oikawa, but it did not calm Akaashi.

What Akaashi feared became true. The explosion hit Bokuto fully, it was evident that he was the most affected. Bokuto could walk by pure miracle. The blood the bodyguard once saw in Bokuto must have flowed from a wound that of course had not been treated. 

"Are you trying to carry Bokuto?" Asked an astonished Oikawa. "Kou is heavy, will you be able to… With your wound?"

"I have to be able." Akaashi growled and a brief sigh came out of his mouth. He didn’t say a word about it, but for some reason the injury on his shoulder didn’t hurt anymore. "Don’t ask me why, but Bokuto thinks I'm amazing and I don't like the idea of him being wrong."

He did not add anything else. Not even that he did not want to leave Bokuto in the hands of anyone else, even if he was the commander. Or that he was feeling guilty about Bokuto’s condition. Nor that a very remote part of him wanted to impress once again the leader's son.

He wasn't sure, but Akaashi would have sworn that a smirk was drawn on Oikawa's lips as he passed by with the young man in tow.

  * ✦─────────── • ✧

The road from where they met Oikawa to the exit was not more than a hundred meters, but for Akaashi it was like going throw a hell of five kilometers. Bokuto was much heavier than he looked with his athletic bearing, and his body was constantly beating Akaashi on the ribs. As if that were not enough, he noticed the man breathe heavily, his breath brushing the back of his neck, ruffling it. The closeness with his protégé was warm and strangely comfortable; Akaashi attributed that to the sweet smell it gave off. _ Somebody explain to me why he smells like coconut after all,_ the black-haired one wondered.

They did not meet any more Renegades and Akaashi thanked all the deities he knew for it. He did not know how he would fight in those conditions. From the tremors and the heat that his body gave off, he imagined Bokuto was feverish. He needed a doctor as soon as possible. And who not? Akaashi did not know how Oikawa managed to reach them, but it was obvious he had taken a toll. The biggest wound was the cut of his arm, but not the only one. His once pink and wet lips were now cut and broken; they must even been hurt. Besides, on his left cheek there was an ugly purple mark which would take days to leave. Whatever he had done to reach them, it was not a picnic.

And Akaashi wondered, would all of it have been done because it was the mission or because it was Bokuto who had suffered the attack? If something had been clear in the few hours he knew the group, was that they were the strangest people he had ever met, but also they did not abandon each other under any circumstances. Even Kageyama, with the rivalry he had with Oikawa, had saved his life when he could have left his fate and obtained the position of commander at some point. Or Oikawa, who could have refused to accept Kageyama on that mission or give him a supporting role. However, they worked together as a real team. Akaashi would not recognize it out loud, but he envied them. His work forced him to act mostly alone. Not to trust anyone and to always remain on guard without a partner to cover him. Bokuto, however, had all those people who worked side by side with him.

"We're almost out, be prepared," the commander warned through the communicator. He got no answer, but Akaashi did not doubt that they would cover him as they had agreed.

When the glowing sunbeams hit Akaashi's eyes, adapted to the darkness, he was forced to avert his face. The heat had become suffocating and the young man's throat was not itchy by the aridity of the environment.

The communicator on his wrist whistled and heard the vibrations in the earpiece.

"Three minutes, three minutes. Come on, come on, or the sand will devour you alive." sang Tendō like everything was just a joke to him. Akaashi wanted to ask, but Oikawa was faster.

"Don’t. He is like that, nothing to do with him."

A strong wind raged and the bodyguard covered his eyes with the back of his arm.

"Go up!" When Akaashi dared to look again he found himself in front of the motorcycles on which they had come.

Iwaizumi left his vehicle to take Bokuto with him. Thanks to Ushijima's help, they were able to sit the leader’s son without inconveniences, although Akaashi could not sigh calmly until he was back in Capital.

Without wasting any more time the eight put themselves on the motorcycles, Akaashi in the same as Oikawa, and they moved away from that hell the sandstorm soon swallowed. The Renegades did not chase them, of course. That way the Renegades could not leave the base. It was part of the commander’s plan to bring all of them alive. 

"Iwa," Akaashi heard the commander's voice in his ear, distorted by the technology that conveyed his words, "now."

Not even five seconds passed when a loud explosion behind them knocked down the Renegades base. Akaashi, who clung to his battered shoulder, watched how the building become ruins. The people there were... Would anyone survive? How many lives would be lost?

What Akaashi did not know is that he had not seen the real horrors that The Ground hid. But it would not take long until he discovered it. Until all of them discovered it.

  * ✦───────────•✧

The bluish light the fluorescent threw on the couch gave the infirmary a spectral environment that the man had never liked. The strong smell of antiseptic didn't help; bad memories assaulted his head. He hated the room everything his little body managed to store. The screen connected to the young man lying on the sheets as white as the rest of the furniture of that gloomy place, emitted a beep beep and the boy got up believing that his friend had woken up. The minutes passed, however, and his eyes remained closed.

The door opened with an almost imperceptible sound, but he listened and stood up with a jump thinking it was the leader or the commander of the seraphim. However he did not find any of them.

"Hinata." The tall man stared at him, standing in front of the now closed door. The redhead had to admit that, with the blue focus on the man, his eyes shone in a beautiful way.

"Kageyama." The redhead turned and returned to his seat, next to the bed where the only real friend in the palace was resting.

Hinata's brown orbs roamed Bokuto's body. Lying there, with his mouth slightly open and his spiky hair now falling over his forehead, he almost seemed harmless. The only thing that betrayed his true state was the paleness of his face, the bandages under the hospital nightgown, and the special caps that the medical body had placed on him.

He heard Kageyama's footsteps approaching him, but this time Hinata did not turn around.

"How is he?"

"Expansion wave injuries. Doctors said he was lucky that the explosive charge was not lethal. The worst part was taken by his eardrums. They did... pwah!" The lower one raised both arms, gesturing exaggeratedly. "Although with his power and doctors’ work... he will be fine."

Bokuto would have to thank the technological advances devised by the inhuman since, without them, possibly his ears would suffer chronic damage. Yes, technology. Hinata knew perfectly how many times it had saved Bokuto, but rarely because of the missions. The scars... The redhead did not look directly at them, but he knew the location of the majority. He clenched his fists and bit his bottom lip. No one was aware of what was happening behind the palace doors, the secrets that those walls hid.

Kageyama sighed.

"Are you still mad at me?"

It was the drop which filled the glass of Hinata's patience. The redhead got up, dragging the chair with him. He went to the dark-haired and took him by the collar of the shirt. Kageyama saw in his eyes a spark of rage he had rarely known in Hinata.

"You left me locked in a trunk for hours! Do you know what that was? It was like, puagh! And it’s a gwah!" Without realizing, Hinata shook Kageyama. "I could have drowned!" Kageyama held his gaze during his anger, until Hinata's fists loosened. "Is that...?" His tone dropped dramatically and he stuck his irises on the floor. "Are you ashamed that they know about our...?"

Before Hinata could finish the sentence, Kageyama was the one who grabbed Hinata’s hips and pulled him to join his lips in a kiss (too short in the redhead's opinion) that caused Hinata’s eyes to open too much. However, it did not take long to close them slowly and respond to the demanding lips of his boyfriend. His fists finally forgot the grip on the sniper's shirt and dropped them on each side of his body. The kiss ended after an uncertain time for the two young men, and the distance was barely a few centimeters. They were so close to Hinata he could feel Kageyama's breath on his lips, which he wanted to kiss again and again.

"Good try, but this isn’t enough to forgive you. Try harder."

Kageyama rolled his eyes and stole a kiss from Hinata.

"I'll do it after the meeting with the leader, idiot. But…" A snort came out of his mouth, crestfallen, and scratched his neck. "I’m not ashamed of us. Well… Maybe at first yeah… But that’s because you’re a complete idiot..."

"You, son of..." He tried to punch him, but Kageyama stopped him easily with a proud smile on his lips that bothered the redhead even more.

"Let me take care of something before making it official, okay? I promise we will, but... Not now. I can’t. There are many things that could go wrong."

It was not the first time Kageyama said it, and Hinata still had no idea what he meant. What was clear was that his boyfriend was hiding something from him. Like they were hiding everyone in the palace the fact that Kageyama and Hinata had been involved in a relationship for a couple of months which could be summed up in kissing and being together when darkness surrounded them so no one would witness their encounters.

"Okay. But prepare something for tonight or we won’t play night volleyball again."

"Bold you to assume I would believe it. You like it as much as I do." Hinata showed his middle finger and Kageyama let out one of those strange laughs to witness. Hinata's heart swelled with happiness, because he knew only him had the privilege to see one of Kageyama’s smiles. "Tell Bokuto that, when he gets better, the leader will contact us."

Hinata nodded. Of course the redhead would tell it to Bokuto, no matter how much he hated it. Whenever Bokuto was reunited with his mother, he came back shabby and taciturn. He did not speak for a couple of hours and there was no human way to get him to smile. Hinata had already tried everything. He just let it be until it passed.

It was obvious that Chika Bokuto was one of his friend's main problems, but what he did not imagine was how much Chika could destroy Bokuto. 

  * ✦─────────── • ✧

There were few places Oikawa feared. The kitchen ruled by Kuroo was one of them, for example. Or the palace punishment room. However, the one crowning the list was Chika Bokuto's meeting room. A place whose walls were completely white, which facilitated the portrait of the dents present in it. There was no need to be a genius to imagine what had caused the holes. In fact, his head still remembered what it was like to hit one.

They returned to the floating city after the partial success of the mission, and each team member passed through the palace medical corps. He knew, thanks to his position as commander, that none of his companions had injuries incompatible with life or which caused long-term problems. That made him breathe relieved. However, his calm did not last long when Kenma entered the infirmary and informed him that he should meet with the Capital leader. He tried to save time by telling the leader’s secretary that, first of all, he must be sure all his teammates were well, but Kenma knew their status perfectly and denied it.

So there he was, right into the lion’s den.

"You fulfilled your goal." The woman was scrutinizing him, sitting with her left leg crossed over her right hand. Chika hands’ rested on her stomach. "I guess I should congratulate you because of that." Oikawa knew the trap behind her tone; It wasn't the first time she used it. All he could do was stand, stoic, imitating the posture he had noticed in Bokuto's new bodyguard. Akaashi was a good role model. "However I will not." _ There it is_, the commander thought. "Oikawa, how many people were injured?" Chika picked up a bunch of bound papers. "According to the report..." She passed several sheets until she found what she was looking for. "Hanamaki and Matsukawa have multiple bruises. Ushijima..." The woman frowned and looked up at him, "he received two shots that fortunately did not affect any vital organ. Akaashi almost bled out from the wound on his shoulder. Without mentioning you or Iwaizumi. Both of you are similar conditions. Kageyama is the only one who came back with nothing but bruises."

He did not protest when he mentioned Kageyama, as much as he wanted to. Interrupting Chika Bokuto was the worst thing he could do, and even more if it was to criticize a subordinate. The fault would always be the commander. And, for Oikawa, it was not an excuse or just the protocol. Oikawa was blamed for all those who were injured, for having doubted himself, for not having foreseen the Renegades' surprise attack. He did not even contemplate another option: the Renegades somehow knew they would go that day. If Iwaizumi did not avoid it, the commander would have committed suicide for not to deal with the consequences of his blunders. 

Chika did not mention anything about his son’s condition, who received the most damage. It was not the first time Bokuto returned in such state, and the leader never asked him questions or bothered about Kōtarō. Oikawa did not understand the reason and he knew something was missing.

"You destroyed one of the Renegades bases in exchange for leaving almost the entire team incapacitated. The balance is not balanced. With my best soldiers in this condition the strategic advantage is nil." Mrs. Bokuto crossed her fingers as she rested her elbows on the desk and leaned forward. "Oikawa, you were voted to be the commander. I didn’t object anything. However, seeing this fiasco it is clear that-"

He was already prepared for what would come next. He knew perfectly well this had been his last mission. It was fun working with Iwaizumi, Matsukawa and Hanamaki. Even with the idiot duo of the spiky hair. Not much with Kageyama and Ushijima, but he had to admit he liked having two people to rival him. Surely otherwise he would never have worked so hard or reached his actual level. But his path ended there. The best thing he could do was say goodbye with his head high and hope it was Iwaizumi who would one day take his place.

"Excuse me."

Oikawa's eyes widened as the dark-haired boy entered the meeting room. It was Akaashi Keiji, Bokuto's bodyguard. When they met in the base, he witnessed the wounds the young man had suffered; They were considerable. However, it seemed he had recovered within hours. His complexion had regained his usual tone, and his movements were as precise as when Oikawa met him. Not a single grimace of discomfort. There were not even bandages to cover his wounds, because the wounds simply were not. A suspicion flew over Oikawa's mind. _ He won't have been stupid enough to do it_...

On the other hand, Akaashi Keiji had just interrupted Chika Bokuto. _ He’s done. Is dead. He won’t survive. It was fun while it lasted. Bokuto is going to need a new bodyguard. No, his bodyguard will need a bodyguard_. Quickly his eyes searched for Mrs. Bokuto, who examined the newcomer with a frown. _ Shit, she's pissed off. I'm going to die too. And I haven't even fixed my hair. Surely when Iwa sees my body he will laugh at how bad I look_.

"We're in the middle of a meeting you haven't been invited to, Akaashi." The leader's harsh voice did not intimidate the green-eyed one at all, who stepped completely into the room. For Oikawa, the way in which his left fist had been closed did not go unnoticed.

"Yes, I know, but I saw that Oikawa didn't bring you _ that _ and I thought I should bring it to give it to him." Akaashi bowed perfectly to the commander. "May I?"

Oikawa nodded without understanding what the bodyguard of the leader's son was talking about. _ That? What was that? _ Akaashi approached the maple wood desk and the commander followed him out of curiosity. His left-hander opened and dropped a pendrive on the maple wood table. Oikawa had never seen it. Chika Bokuto took it and turned it between her bony and perfectly manicured fingers.

"What is this?"

Akaashi did not respond immediately, which caused Oikawa's anxiety to grow.

"It's a pen drive with the information we managed to steal from the base of the Renegades before we destroyed it." The bodyguard explained. "It contains information about their equipment, locations of other operations centers and organization system. Obtaining it was Commander Oikawa's plan from the beginning, right?"

Despite his stunned state, Oikawa managed to articulate a nod and regain his composure. He was grateful he was not drinking because he sure would have spit it all out in front of the leader. Or worse, on her. He wondered, of course, how Akaashi had managed to obtain such a gold mine. Was it when he and Bokuto were captured? Obviously, there was no other plausible explanation. However, it meant he managed to escape before Chika's son and had traveled the base until he found the information. How good was Akaashi Keiji? At first glance, Oikawa already saw him as a competent young man, more than most palace workers. However, he did not think Akaashi would reach the level of the best soldiers of the seraphim. Another thing was missing.

"Exactly. It’s true, many of us were injured, but it was a necessary sacrifice to get the information." His lips curved in a proud smile as he spoke, like it had been his initial plan. "I thought, instead of destroying it from the beginning, we could assault it and gather all the data we were capable of. It was a risky operation, yes, but without great risks there aren’t great rewards." Oikawa copied the last sentence from Mrs. Bokuto, one she repeated constantly. Apparently it was a success because the woman's shoulders relaxed and the corners of her lips slightly twisted.

"If the pen drive has everything you said, then you have nothing to fear. Well done, Oikawa. Soon I’ll call you all to discuss another matter. For now go and have some rest. You can leave."

Oikawa was not planning to stay another second there now he had managed to dodge the bullet thanks to Akaashi's help.

The two left the room and received a wide corridor Oikawa knew as well as the palm of his hand, while Akaashi had barely gotten used to his eccentric size. And, although Oikawa had been there for years, he was aware that there were still numerous recesses of the place he did not know. In the same way he did not know the secrets Chika Bokuto kept.

"Okay, I have to ask. How did you get it?" Oikawa released, breaking the silence.

He was a relatively patient person, and the patience he had shown on numerous occasions had reached its final point. There were too many unknowns, almost all of them related to the new bodyguard. How far was his strength and ability? Why had Akaashi helped him before the leader instead of throwing him to the lions and scoring himself? That was what a normal person would have done.

_ But Bokuto likes him, so I guess it's impossible for him to be a normal person_. His own thought made him smile. When Bokuto's intuition spoke, ignoring it was stupid. And if the leader's son had shown himself from the beginning so attached to the newcomer, it meant he had something special. Oikawa was starting to understand it.

"I can't show you all my tricks. It would be unfair,"Akaashi replied with absolute calm.

He kept his gaze fixed at some point at the end of the narrow corridor.

"That’s unfair," The commander snorted, crossing his arms.

"But..." Oikawa quickly fixed his almond gaze on the boy's thin figure. "Maybe I could tell you if you answer me a question."

Before answering, Oikawa stopped and gave a confident smile. He pulled a strand strategically located over his bangs.

"I am not single."

"Neither humble," Keiji attacked, passing by without flinching.

"I didn't think you were so mean, Kei." Oikawa complained, walking after him again.

He must admit he was surprised by Akaashi's replies. Wasn't he one of those shy introverts unable to replicate someone without a certain level of trust? No, he was definitely wrong.

"Maybe you shouldn't think then." The mouth of the tallest one opened, ready to reply, but no word came out of it as Akaashi continued speaking: "But that’s not the point. Would you answer my question? You can take it as the payment for the pendrive and I will also tell you how I got it."

"Mean! Okay, ask me. You’ve won it." 

No matter what the question was, Oikawa's curiosity to know how Akaashi had obtained the pendrive was bigger.

"How did you get to us?"

There was no immediate response. Oikawa and Akaashi continued on their way, this time descending the long stairs which led to the main exit door of the palace. They were received by a man who almost passed the seventy meter.

"Thank you Shirabu." The aforementioned ducked his head slightly and closed the door as soon as both employees left the huge house. "We used our powers." 

"Which are your powers?" Akaashi asked, finally showing an emotion as he raised one of his eyebrows.

Oikawa watched the blue sky above their heads. Due to the altitude at which Capital was, the clouds caressed their skin and there was nothing to spoil the vision of that blue vault covering them. A gentle breeze rocked his hair and a sigh escaped his lips.

"Tendō is able to see the future. Iwaizumi can manipulate the gravity. I…" The one with brown hair used his fingertips to comb his hair ruffled by the wind, "I can manipulate the reality. Let's say it that way, but it's something more complex."

Akaashi understood it. The reason why the Renegades’ base collapsed was because of Iwaizumi’s abilities. But he still didn't understand how Oikawa had been able to make his way through so many soldiers. He supposed that was a question for which it would take to get an answer. If he ever had it. At least now he knew the inhuman abilities of three of the team.

  * ✦───────────•✧

Two big red eyes widened. Eyes of such an intense color that he would swear they were formed by rivers of blood flowing through its irises. Its pupils were tiny and sharp. The creature was even more penetrating, getting his blood to freeze. He was surrounded by darkness, nothing more. A black so dense he could not see his own body. Only a reddish glow. And his body kept shaking, he didn't know why. He didn't even know the creature in front of him, but the terror it triggered caused a cold sweat to run down his back, just like a growing sense of imminent death in his chest.

"It’s over. All of you. This is the end." A mouth with sharp teeth was drawn in front of him, much larger than his body, so much that the monster would be able to devour it without even chewing. If it could, of course, because he did not distinguish any body in that creature.

"Finally, yeah… this is the end." A voice that didn't belong to him spoke of his own accord. He was just a mere spectator in the middle of a show he had attended when it came to an end. 

In that absorbing darkness a golden glow illuminated the place with an explosion of warmth that even the invisible spectator noticed. And finally he saw the figure speaking, although he could not distinguish his features, only that he was a man. In his hand he held a dragon-shaped pendant, and in his jaws he held a citrine of a brightness which he had never seen before.

"Are you crazy!? That's..." The creature looked scared. Really scared. As much or more than the human who held the jewel.

The voice of the creature become almost pleading. Its mouth was close, too close, and the spectator thought he would devour the poor man in a matter of seconds. However, he did not do it. As soon as he tried to approach, an invisible barrier pushed it away.

The boy's laugh echoed in the dark. Soft, warm, and sincere. He knew. It was the laughter of someone who was aware it were his last moments. The laughter of someone who knows he is about to die. But he did not seem to care. Quite the opposite, he shown a more frightening security than the disembodied creature.

"Yes, it is. But it's the only way we have to stop you for now. I would have... Yes, I would have loved to continue in this world a little more... Fair... Fair enough to have said everything I wanted, but... I guess it's too late. It's over."

The boy clenched his fist and between the small gaps that formed his fingers filtered a light cetrina devoured everything in its path. The creature, the man, even the spectator. The pain went through him. So intense, so painful. That was to die. A suffocating sensation, a fear that makes you scream but it is impossible for you to make any sound. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't even.

He was dying.

Tendō woke up with a shout so loud he woke up the person who was sleeping with him. Tears slid down his cheeks uncontrollably and squeezed the sheets so tightly he broke them. His body was shaking and sickness hit him with such intensity that it gave him the right time to bow down and throw up on the side of the bed.

Muscled arms surrounded the waist and chest of the redhead and noticed a warmth on his back that managed to calm him a little.

"Okay, I'm here." A simple comment, apparently without emotion, and still provoked enough inside Tendō to stop his body from ejecting the food from the previous day. "What happened? Have you had a nightmare?"

Tendō's dark eyes, still crystalline because of tears, fixed on Ushijima and denied. His hand rested on his agitated chest. Tendō knew it. It had not been a nightmare. It was real. It was something he had lived too many times to confuse it with a product of his imagination. Tendō saw the future.

"One... One of us is going to die."


	6. ─── ❪❪ Wishes ❫❫ ───

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Bo… Who…? Who is he?" The kid asked, pointing to Akaashi.
> 
> "He's super handsome! Sure he is Kou's boyfriend!"
> 
> "Hey! He's not! I mean, yes! Wait, no, no, no!" The older one babbled and his nerves made him almost trip over his own feet and fall with the children.
> 
> "Yes?" The bodyguard raised both eyebrows.
> 
> "I mean, it is! My boyfriend! No, shit, he's handsome! He is handsome! But he is not my boyfriend!" Bokuto brought his hands to his hair and ruffled it.

Akaashi thought that, being with the most important commander of Capital, the kind of bars he would frequent would be glamorous, expensive and with a clientele in which he would completely disentangle. In his head, he already imagined a perfect, whitish and clean lighting; waiters dressed in colourful bow ties from some eccentric designer. People dancing neatly on a track placed right in the middle where it would not hinder the rest of the clientele who preferred to have a conversation thanks to the low volume of the music. And he was even able to smell the sweet aroma of expensive alcohol.

"Disappointed?" asked Oikawa laughing, pushing the entrance door. "You can go first."

He was absolutely wrong. His face was a true poem when they were planted in front of that building in an alley next to the main street but hidden so it was not visible at first sight. The place from the outside seemed to fall apart at any moment.

"No... Just that I'm surprised that someone like you comes to this kind of..." he muttered, climbing the steps that connected to the interior. He remained silent, however, when he crossed the threshold. It didn't happen like in the movies. That dilapidated building did not become a palace inside. However, its interior was not what Akaashi would have expected.

The walls maintained that rocky aesthetic, however, all of them were decorated with various paintings that a street artist would surely have made. The works were splendid: faces, cartoons, animal representations, apocalyptic cities... Some parts were even graffiti, but they did not resemble those in the narrow streets of the slums. These were much more careful, following the image line of the premises. What surprised Akaashi the most were, however, the bottles hanging from the ceiling hanging on a rope. They had been emptied and inside they housed light bulbs of different colours that threw a wide amalgam of shades over the place.

"Not bad at all, isn't it?" Akaashi knew that Oikawa's question didn't need to be answered. He was visibly proud of the bodyguard's reaction to that bar. So Akaashi just nodded with a modest nod.

The two palace workers approached the bar, where a small girl with short blond hair and brown eyes attended them. Both asked for a mug of beer that was soon served. At some point, one of the girls who was next to the duo realized who Oikawa was and soon they assaulted him with questions and flirtations. Akaashi thought that perhaps it was better to leave and let Oikawa deal with his fans. Well, the only reason why he was there was because, while Bokuto was recovering from his injuries, he needed something to do. And Oikawa offered to show him some places the palace employees usually went. It did not seem a bad idea until Oikawa started to flirt with the girls.

Luckily, a voice appeared to save him from the nightmare of popularity that was Oikawa.

"Does Iwaizumi know you're here, Oikawa?" The aforementioned twisted his mouth and Akaashi noticed that his fingers clenched the glass tightly.

"Okay, girls, I'll see you later, now I'm with some friends, yes?" Of course, the women did not accept his rejection so soon and insisted. "Do not worry, I come often." It took a wink from Oikawa for the girls to leave satisfied and muttering, "Now I know why, when I entered here, my head started to hurt. I should have imagined that it was because you were here."

Akaashi raised both eyebrows, scrutinising the newcomer who had managed to trouble Oikawa enough to break his mask of superiority. He was someone he had seen before, his face and his dishevelled black hair were too familiar.

"Charming," Without asking, the newcomer made a gap between Oikawa and Akaashi. "Yachi, my usual drink, please." The aforementioned nodded, overwhelmed, and ran to the other side of the bar. "You will not introduce me to your handsome partner? Isn't Iwaizumi jealous that you are alone with him in a bar?"

Akaashi watched with real surprise how Oikawa's shoulders had tensed and the obvious way he was biting the inside of his cheek, possibly holding out so as not to throw the drink over him. Apparently, he was facing someone who managed to get the commander really anxious. And very easily as he witnessed.

"I was trying to save Kei from you, but since you have mentioned it…" Oikawa made a gesture with his hand toward the tall black-haired boy, who was looking at Akaashi with a smirk. "Kei, this unbearable headache is Kuroo Tetsuro."

Kuroo Tetsuro. He remembered. He was the boy who was next to Bokuto the first time he met him, the one who asked him what the fruitful word meant. He also remembered what he thought of those idiotic people who couldn't stand.

"Akaashi Keiji."

The smirk that Kuroo drew sent a wave of chills to Akaashi, aware that the intense gaze of Kuroo was analyzing him as if he could unravel his darkest secrets only with his eyes.

"We met at the gym, now I remember." The waitress served Kuroo a glass of wine and he brought it to his lips. "Bo threw you his bottle of water. It was bloody fun!" Kuroo laughed so loudly that Akaashi frowned. His list of insufferable people was expanding at a speed that was almost alarming. "That dumbass owl always surpassed himself when he meets someone he considers attractive."

"Bo?," asked Akaashi.

"Bokuto. He and Kuroo are best friends. If you don't like noise, you better not be with them when they are together. It is what I do."

Akaashi gave a small jump when he heard that soft voice that until then had remained silent. Kuroo's presence was so great that he had completely overshadowed the man who accompanied him. He was a considerably shorter young man, with blond hair except his black tips.

"Kozume Kenma, but you can call me Kenma," the boy muttered, without looking at Akaashi.

Poor, if he has to endure Kuroo... Akaashi thought, and finally, he could add someone to his list of people he did like.

"It's a pleasure, Kenma."

The two shook hands, and Akaashi could see a tiny smile on the boy's lips.

"Why didn't you tell me the same?" Said Kuroo, with a pout on his face.

The brunette rolled his eyes and drank from his beer, taking a few seconds to get rid of the opposite before answering.

"When it is a pleasure to have met you I will say it."

"Auch."

"I think I'm starting to love you, Kei," Oikawa sang and put his arm over Akaashi's shoulders, laughing. Evidently, he did that because of the face that Kuroo had put on. It wasn't hard to see that those two didn't get along at all.

"Speaking of the dumbass owl, where is he?" Asked Kuroo, who now looked around searching for Bokuto.

"He's still in the infirmary," Oikawa replied, sighing and raising both hands, "the doctors have been taking a week to keep him from leaving."

"It's a merit that they managed to keep him for a whole week." The blond waitress poured the drink to Kuroo and he took a sip before answering. "But, he had to come too fucked to leave him in bed so long."

Akaashi looked away. Yes, of course, he felt guilty. Directly or indirectly, that Bokuto arrived in such a state was his fault. As if reading his thoughts, Kuroo put his arm over Akaashi's shoulder and added:

"Don't think too much, Bo doesn't hold a grudge or anything like that. And he always ends in the infirmary for one thing or another. So, he was going to end there whether you were or not. Moreover, I am pretty sure that thanks to you it was no worse."

"I can confirm it," Oikawa seconded, raising his beer mug. "It was because you released him that we could leave. I don't know if I could neutralize all the Renegades. But," Oikawa's eyes darkened, "I'm still waiting for you to tell me the details of how you got the pen drive."

Kuroo snorted and his free arm circled Oikawa's shoulders, who looked at him with a grimace that touched the indignation. Kenma remained next to the highest, observing the situation with indifference; or rather, he seemed to study it.

"No work-talks in the bar. It's like talking about an exam when you're on vacation. No man, it's you know... it's a bad taste!"

"Many could say the same about your hairstyle, lousy cat," Oikawa muttered.

"Do you really want to open the crap drawer, Oikawa?" The mischievous smile on Kuroo's lips didn't like Akaashi at all, much less the commander, who rolled his eyes and stood up.

Akaashi did the same and followed him with Kuroo and Kenma behind him. Apparently, they had decided without asking permission to spend the day with them.

"Why don't we take advantage of the presence of our new guest?" Kuroo suggested. He sat right next to Akaashi, causing a lot of discomfort in the green-eyed one. Given the confusion on the faces of the others, Kuroo continued, "If there is anything you want to know about the palace, Bokuto or we, it's your time to ask!"

He must admit that Kuroo's proposal was interesting. Akaashi cracked his fingers as he thought.

"What are you two working on?"

"He is the head chef," Kenma said, pointing his thumb to the highest in the group, "it's quite annoying when he's in his bossy mode, but he's very good. And I am the secretary of Chika Bokuto."

"Oh, but you can't imagine the typical secretary who does nothing but take notes," Oikawa sighed behind his beer mug. A girl at the next table greeted him and he winked at her. "Kenma is the brain of palace operations. All information passes through his hands, is processed by that divine mind of his and the plans come out of his head. Kenma has an amazing talent. The lousy cat is the one whom we could live without."

Kuroo leaned forward with a scathing retort prepared, Akaashi was sure, but the bodyguard came forward not to start a war that wouldn't lead to anything.

"What about the Bokuto family, what do you know?" The question was born from his lips by pure reflexes. He didn't think too much about the impending fight between Kuroo and Oikawa. However, if he began to think, the truth was that Akaashi knew absolutely nothing about Kōtarō's family. Beyond Bokuto's mother, he had met nobody apart from Kōtarō, of course.

The question formed an awkward silence on the table. None responded. They avoided doing it. Finally, it was Kuroo who did it, but his mocking tone had disappeared.

"Bokuto is the youngest of six brothers. The older two are twins. Chika had them with her first partner, one of the commanders before Oikawa."

"The younger twin, Khione, is the one who taught Kou to fight," Oikawa interrupted. "She was also the one who organized the military and intelligence system of the palace. She is the only in the family you can save. Well, she and Kou."

Akaashi had heard of her from Bokuto's mouth when he first showed Akaashi the main hall palace. Bokuto had told him how his sister had been who joined both departments to facilitate the workflow. Kōtarō said it with pride. Akaashi imagined Khione Bokuto as the female version of Kōtarō.

"About the father of the twins, he died in an accident on a mission. Then Chika... Was it the second? No, okay, that was the third one. Chika's second husband was a man… I don't remember his name, but he gave a bad flip-flop. Nothing is known about him except that he belonged to a group of spies who worked for Chika. With him, she had his next three children. The man is not dead but disappeared overnight." Kuroo put both elbows on the beer-stained table which caused a grimace of disgust on his face but kept talking. "The last husband known to her was Bo's father. He also lasted the least. But…"

Kuroo paused and sighed.

"He was an excellent person." Oikawa took over. "He was intelligent, attractive... had a lot of qualities. But he was good more than anything else. And he loved Kou with all his heart, I can assure you it. He spent the day with Kou by his side."

"What... What happened to him?" Akaashi asked, not convinced if he really wanted to know the answer.

"It was revealed that he was a Renegade spy. He was passing information. He was publicly executed. Chika in person threw him from the edge of Capital." Akaashi knew by how Oikawa squeezed the jar that the story didn't end there. "Kou saw it all. His mother forced him to see the kind of person his father was."

"That's horrible," Akaashi murmured.

"Horrible is that you hate your own son for who his father is," Kuroo replied. He sat up and looked around making sure no one else listened. Saying things like that in Capital was dangerous.

"Wait," something didn't fit for Akaashi, "if Chika has had six children... How is it possible that she doesn't look more than thirty-five years? She must have..." He raised his fingers, counting to himself.

"That is one of Capital's great mysteries," Oikawa resolved with a shrug, "no one knows how Chika Bokuto looks so young or how old she really is."

It woke up new questions in Akaashi's mind, but from what Oikawa and Kuroo had told him, they didn't have the answers. So for the moment, he had to live with doubts. Maybe at some point, he could ask Bokuto, but he was sure that that would be exceeding his obligations.

"Hey, do you want to hear a funny story?" Kuroo smirked and licked his lower lip as he approached Akaashi. He stopped at a safe distance, but where only he, Kenma and Oikawa could hear him. "Do you know the story of Bo, Oikawa and the cucumber?"

"That was not funny!" Oikawa threw the chair on his feet. The bar fell silent and the man flushed. He picked up the chair and sat down again. The others soon forgot the commander's show and resume their conversations.

"Yes, it was," a smiling Kuroo replied.

"Your opinion doesn't count! You started laughing in the middle of the commemoration of the victims of the X-21 mission because you remembered the grumpy cat's meme."

"Oh, come on!" Kuroo threw his hands in the air. "It is the meme of the grumpy cat! I could piss myself out of laughter because of that meme even in the middle of a funeral."

"And that's why your opinion doesn't count."

Akaashi's fingers played with the edge of the beer mug and the foam bathed the fingertips. He had to recognize that it was fun to watch the interaction between Kuroo and Oikawa. He felt like a scientist studying relationships between primates. Oikawa finally put his hands to his head and opened his mouth, but a vibration interrupted them. Oikawa, Akaashi and Kenma laid hands on their phone in unison and responded.

Kuroo clicked his tongue because he knew exactly what it meant to call all three at once. He took the wallet out of his pocket and, when the waitress passed by, handed him a card with his ID.

"I will pay. I think it's time to leave."

✦───────────•✧

It was one of the most uncomfortable trips for Akaashi. The space he had was even smaller than in the cube in which he was travelling to descend to The Ground. Every few meters the truck was shaken and the bodyguard inspired and expired trying to relax his accelerated pulsations. He hated transport with all his heart. Fortunately, the road was short. In a matter of fifteen minutes the vehicle stopped and the driver, a grey-haired tall man, let them out. He and Bokuto exchanged a strange clash of fists and the stranger returned to his work.

"I love this city." Bokuto closed his eyes and inflated his chest.

But Akaashi understood what his partner meant. The floating city was beautiful. The skyscrapers were lost among the clouds which mostly covered the city, giving it an angelic halo. The streets were, mostly, wide and clean. The Capital cleaning system was very effective, partly thanks to the constant humidity caused by living so high.

"Yes. Capital is... amazing," Akaashi murmured, so low that Bokuto almost did not hear him.

For the bodyguard, the place they were going to was unknown, but Bokuto seemed so confident that he did not resist. Around him, people walked focused on their daily chores. No one noticed the young man next to them was the son of the most influential person in the city.

It had been two weeks since bodyguard and protected returned from the catastrophic mission on The Ground. Fourteen days in which the team recovered. Most in a couple of days, but Bokuto took more than a week. Even so, with the wounds Bokuto presented, Akaashi was surprised that he could move so quickly. He knew about the sanitary technology of the palace, but seeing what it was capable of was breathtaking. During that time, Akaashi spent most of the day locked in the infirmary with Bokuto. However, most of the time Bokuto was unconscious, so there was nothing more to do but read and going out with Oikawa, Kuroo and Kenma. At first, the medical books they kept in the infirmary, but he discovered in Bokuto's room that the man kept a private collection of volumes about technology. He spent hours and hours trying to understand what they talk about. Without success. The rest of the time, when Bokuto woke up, the leader's son told all the bad jokes he knew. Many times Bokuto interspersed with stories, most of them starred by Bokuto and Kuroo. Akaashi thought that the duo was like mix ketchup and yoghurt: an awful idea. At first, the bodyguard was grateful every time someone entered and interrupted Bokuto's endless talk, but he was surprised the fifth day when it was Akaashi himself who despised one of the doctors until Bokuto finished his story. But thanks to that he was able to make a new entry in his list of weaknesses of the boy. Weakness of Bokuto #2: when he felt he had been ignored while telling a story, he depressed very quickly.

They continued like that until that day. The previous day, the doctors announced that Bokuto was in optimal condition to leave the infirmary. And what did he do twelve hours later? Sneaking out of the palace lying to Akaashi. How could he believe they were going to an ethnography museum? He deserved to be fooled. Thanks to the ability of certain red-haired friend of Bokuto, the two boys camouflage themselves in a truck without anyone recognizing them; neither inside nor outside the palace. Appearance manipulation, both long and short distance. It is a good power to deceive people.

"Those are…?" Akaashi's eyes stopped at the holograms that glowed high in the clear sky. It showed the half-covered face of one person for one minute and then it showed another. Akaashi stared at a young man with grey hair, a mole under his eye. His lips and jaw were unrecognizable due to the fabric covering the lower half of his face.

"Yes," confirmed Bokuto, who stopped to contemplate the hologram. Now they could recognize a boy with spiky and brown hair. He was one of those who had held Bokuto and whom Akaashi shot down, "the most dangerous Renegades."

"I didn't know they also announced their appearance in the middle of the city."

"Really?" asked Bokuto. The two boys entered a gloomy alley which separated the main capital area from the periphery. The place gave chills to Akaashi. "Everyone knows it. Have you never been to the Center?"

"Not really." Akaashi shrugged and stumbled upon a man who turned to him to insult him even if it was his fault. The bodyguard grabbed Bokuto by the wrist when he saw his clear intentions to reply. "I'm from the westside. I have never moved through this area."

The leader's son opened his mouth to reprimand him for not letting him intervene, but from Akaashi's gaze, he understood that for him it was a stupid unfortunate event without importance. Bokuto's body relaxed.

"We must change it! One day we have to come with Kuroo and Oikawa to show you the wonders of the Capital Center." He put his hand to his mouth thoughtfully until he finally exclaimed: "The karaoke! You have to hear Kuroo and Oikawa singing the YMCA!"

"I'm sure it will be a horrible duet."

Bokuto's laugh caught the attention of everyone who was passing by at that time. Akaashi ducked his head in shame; He didn't like being the centre of attention. Less in a dangerous area like that.

The wide streets narrowed, and the atmosphere fell suddenly. The men in suits became gang members who watched them calculating the value of their belongings. The children who were running around with their game consoles were now women who, at any glance, took refuge in the darkness of the alleys.

"Where are we going? I don't think this place is right for you… " By pure instinct, the bodyguard put his hand to the belt where he kept his weapon.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen to us! The best bodyguard of all comes with me."

There it was again. That radiant optimism of Bokuto that overshadowed the darkness of the world as if it did not exist. The dark-haired man was aware of the evil in the world, too well. And his partner too. But whenever everything seemed to go wrong, Bokuto's smile gave strength and calmed to the lowest. Or maybe it was something much simpler: Bokuto was a star that illuminated everything in its path.

"You're exaggerating…"

They reached a wall of about four meters. They couldn't see what was on the other side, and they were surrounded by two buildings that seemed about to collapse. If someone asked Akaashi, he wouldn't know how many rats would be hidden there. And he preferred to ignore the data. With surprising agility, Bokuto jumped. The leader's son grabbed the ledge of a window. He pushed his foot into it and fell crouched on top of the wall. That was the agility Akaashi saw the first time they met, at the end of that game, when he was hired. Akaashi soon imitated the man.

"When we get out of here, Hinata's power will be invalidated, but don't worry, there's nothing to fear." He raised his thumb, in a gesture of encouragement, and Akaashi nodded with a new confidence that was born in him.

The two of them, together, jumped to the other side.

And it was when the bodyguard was baffled. What was on the other side was a residential neighbourhood, very poor, but... cozy. There was a group of children playing volleyball happily. Most were barefoot or in rags, but seemed immune to the stones of the ground. Akaashi watched the children's gaping match until a shadow larger than the children ran to spike the ball.

"Bo, Bo!" A boy shouted after Bokuto's spike and ran to hug him. "You've come!"

"The best wing spiker in the world!" Another girl left the game to jump on the leader's son.

"Mr Bokuto, I want you to take me too!"

"Oh, of course, I can get you all up!" And he kept his word. One of the children hugged his chest while the other two who came hung from his arms and the golden-eyed raised them as if nothing.

The leader's son began to play with the children and a small smile was drawn on Akaashi's lips. He didn't know how Bokuto knew that place and those children, but he looked comfortable with them. They had to know each other for a long time. And... It's endearing, it was the first thing that crossed the bodyguard's mind when he saw one of the girls raised to Bokuto's shoulders pulling his hair. Akaashi approached them. One of the children automatically hid behind Bokuto's legs, watching him warily.

"Bo… Who…? Who is he?" The kid asked, pointing to Akaashi.

"He's super handsome! Sure he is Kou's boyfriend!"

"Hey! He's not! I mean, yes! Wait, no, no, no!" The older one babbled and his nerves made him almost trip over his own feet and fall with the children.

"Yes?" The bodyguard raised both eyebrows.

"I mean, it is! My boyfriend! No, shit, he's handsome! He is handsome! But he is not my boyfriend!" Bokuto brought his hands to his hair and ruffled it.

The hidden boy and the two girls exchanged a pair of complicit glances that went unnoticed by the two adults.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Bokuto?"

"Oh yes, sorry, of course!" He made an exaggerated bow and the little ones laughed. "Guys, he is Akaashi Keiji, the bodyguard I told you my mother was going to hire."

The three children released a small "oh" and Akaashi stepped back, downcast, with so many pairs of eyes on him suddenly. Besides, that child who was still behind Bokuto's legs kept looking at him suspiciously, as if he were an unwanted guest. And that was how he began to feel. But the idea was relegated to a drawer lost in his mind when he realized something. Bokuto had pronounced his last name well.

"He is Kazuo Saito, the best libero! It's hard for him to gain confidence, but he is a great child."

The little blond nodded and clung tighter to Bokuto's pants.

"Yumi Watanabe, ace of the team." The tallest girl, the one with big blue eyes, introduced herself. She had a very careful appearance despite her poor clothes and a self-confidence that reminded Commander Oikawa. "As soon as I grow up I will be taller than Kou and I'll be stronger than him."

"It'll be fun to see how you try!" Now that the girl had disengaged from Bokuto, the two started a kind of competition of proud looks and poses. The girl clearly won. "For now you are still a dwarf. And terribly bad at receiving!"

"Wait and see, I'll beat you!" She pointed at him, chin raised.

"Riko Oshiro. Setter." The other girl approached Akaashi and held out his hand. The bodyguard, although surprised, narrowed it down. "And I suppose I'm also the only living neuron in the group."

"It's a pleasure, Oshiro."

"Please, call me Riko."

Akaashi decided he liked Riko. She was calmer and didn't seem to hate him.

"By the way, Riko," Bokuto turned to the third girl, with Yumi hanging back on her arm as she tried to reach him with her legs. Possibly to kick him; without success, "is the old man here today?"

"He's in the studio, but he said that if we interrupt him, he will hang us by our thumbs in the square."

"Great, he's in a good mood."

"No. He's not in a good mood. You always say that and it's always a lie. Why do you think a person is in a good mood when he threatens to hang on by your thumbs?"

"Well..." Bokuto seemed to think about it for a moment and Akaashi thought he would release some witty comment, "Because he could hang us by our tongue and that would be more painful!"

"True! Kou, you're great!" Yumi jumped. One of the kicks hit Bokuto in the shin, but he didn't even flinch.

"Of course I am!"

Akaashi and Riko sighed and found themselves with the palm of their hands in the forehead in unison. Of course, those two were the replica of each other.

Riko and Kazuo led the bodyguard and his protégé until what Akaashi imagined should be the studio. It was a hidden wooden door hidden at the end of the alley. Bokuto opened it with a little push and entered. Akaashi went to do the same, but could not.

"You're not allowed." Kazuo stood in front of the door, between it and Akaashi, blocking his path. He crossed his arms, glaring at the bodyguard.

"You're not part of the family. Only Bokuto, the old man and we can enter. You are nothing but a stranger."

"Kazuo, you don't have to worry about Akaashi. He comes to protect..." Bokuto tried to defend him. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I don't care what he says!" Kazuo snapped his shoulder away. "Bo, you… I just…" The boy clenched his fists. "I don't want you to be harmed anymore... And he's a stranger... I can't let him in. No to your sanctuary. I am the libero, I am the guardian. My job is to protect you..."

Bokuto crouched down to the height of the child. He took the boy's cheeks and stretched them without harming him. And then that star appeared again. The smile that showed in the worst moments. A tiny gesture that can change things. The boy raised his head, facing him.

"And you always do, Kazuo. You have never failed. You are the best libero and guardian I know, but Akaashi, he is nice. Do you think I would present him to you if I wasn't sure? He is the first person I bring here and you know it."

Akaashi inclined his head slightly when he heard it. This meant that not even Oikawa, Kuroo or Hinata had been there before.

"I would trust Akaashi with my life without hesitation."

It was obvious that Kazuo was still doubting, but he turned to Akaashi with pride and a sense of loyalty that drove Akaashi back. He could be a child who did not reach the one fifty-meter, but his safety and the feelings he transmitted were even more intense than many adults.

"If you hurt Bo or something bad happens to him, I'll make you regret it," he said, pointing. "And I hope you don't underestimate me for being smaller than you. I have the perfect height to give you a header in your balls-"

"I understood. I promise to protect him. And I will not underestimate you at all." Akaashi interrupted.

Kazuo finally stepped aside, allowing Akaashi to access. Akaashi felt that this gesture was more important than it might seem at first glance. That child was allowing the bodyguard to enter the family. Because he relied blindly on Bokuto, so much so that he turned away just because the bicolour-haired had told him. Akaashi understood that Bokuto's power went far beyond physical strength or agility. The leader's son was one of those people capable of motivating and guiding people with his words and gestures. Bokuto was someone very dangerous. And... attractive.

The place they entered was the perfect definition of a mad scientist's laboratory. A small site, full of junk, even on the ground. Cables on one side, metal plates on the other. A small skylight overhead, but the light was obscured by a bronze model whose function the bodyguard ignored. In the background was a grey-haired man working with fire and a mask, probably to protect his eyes. Bokuto shouted his name, but neither he nor Akaashi understood it because of the overwhelming noise. As if he was used to it, Bokuto approached a giant gong on his left and hit it. Akaashi was forced to cover his ears. The man took a boat and left the device he was working on.

"I told you that if you interrupted me, you were going to...!" When he saw Bokuto, the old man frowned and approached him with the blowtorch. It looked like I was going to attack him. Akaashi already had his hand on the gun and his body straight forward prepared to jump if necessary. However, the man laughed and slapped Bokuto on the back. "So it was you, dwarf! Damn, I thought you were one of the little brats entering again without permission. Do not stay there. Come in. It’s been a long time since we saw each other, dwarf."

Both Akaashi and Bokuto entered and sat in front of the old man, who began to sort the mountain of devices where he was working.

"Sorry, Sorry. I wanted to come earlier, but it was impossible." Akaashi and Bokuto sat in front of the man, using two metal cubes. The bodyguard was sure that it shouldn't be used as a seat, but there was nothing else. "We had the mission and they forced me to stay in the infirmary. Even when I was already healed!"

"Bokuto, is it okay to talk about that ...?"

"You must be Akaashi Keiji, am I wrong?" The old man intervened before the sentence was finished.

"How…?"

"Boy, Kōtarō and I are in touch despite palace restrictions." He laughed out loud and denied. "He has told me about a certain amazing bodyguard, with incredible fight skills. You are as I imagined you. Ah, answering your question, Kōtarō tells me everything that happens in the palace. But don't worry, that information doesn't come out of here. Honestly, I am not interested in all the mess between Renegades and Seraphim. Rule one or the other, I don't think things will change too much. In the end, power always drags tyranny."

Akaashi did not understand how he could speak with such freedom in front of the son of the person currently leading the city. In Capital, it was forbidden to show political ideologies contrary to the current one or that were not of complete flattery towards the leader. But that man said it as if nothing. And in front of Bokuto, who didn't seem uncomfortable at all. He had started to browse through the mechanical parts of the table. Akaashi didn't understand anything.

"Well, dwarf, I got what you asked for," the old man suddenly commented.

"Really!?" Bokuto's eyes lit up and Akaashi would swear his hair would put even more tip. "Ukai, you are the best!"

"With how much it costs to get that shit you can swear it." Mr Ukai got up tiredly, revealing a short man who walked wearily to a corner of the workshop. Between grunts, he was pulling tubes and cables. Finally, he extracted an object that once had to be cylindrical, but now it was nothing more than broken fragments. It looked more like scrap metal. However, Ukai treated him with extreme care, taking it with several rags.

Beside him, Akaashi watched as Bokuto made small leaps on his heels impatiently. The bodyguard had no idea what that was, but it seemed like it was something Bokuto had been waiting for a while.

Mr Ukai placed the device on the only empty table in the workshop and the bicolour-haired one approached with care. Akaashi had never seen Bokuto being so careful.

"It's much better than I had imagined it." He turned to the old man. "Can I?"

The man made a gesture with his arm meaning "forward".

And Akaashi witnessed an unprecedented event. Bokuto took a seat in front of the table and put on his protective glasses. His hands, usually rough and strong, were transformed as soon as he touched the metal of that device. They glided through it with a care that reminded Akaashi of the love with which a pianist plays his instrument. He handled each piece with overwhelming precision and speed. He would never have entrusted him with a blowtorch, but now that he saw it in his hands as if he were an expert in the field, Akaashi swallowed his thoughts. Bokuto reached out and turned on the radio. An old popular song sounded whose lyrics were known when Akaashi was little. Bokuto beat rhythmically with his foot on the ground while his hands worked skillfully. Akaashi had the impression that he was facing a genius working on his passion. The vision was beautiful.

"Surprised?" Ukai stood beside him, watching, in the same way, a Bokuto who seemed to have disconnected from the world around him.

"I... This, no..."

"You don't have to hide it, boy." The old man laughed. "When someone first meets Kōtarō, he thinks that all he can do is fight. I guess it's a normal reaction."

Embarrassed, Akaashi nodded because he fell into that topic. It happened when he first met Bokuto. When Bokuto threw the water bottle on him.

"In my opinion, each person has their talent. However, most of the society disagrees with me. Mathematics, language, art, science... If you are good at them you are intelligent. If it is hard for you to retain certain words, you are a little clumsy or do not process things at the moment, they catalogue you as stupid." The old man stepped forward with both arms crossed. His eyes looked at Bokuto, who was focused on melting two pieces on an object that Akaashi didn't understand. "And almost always, the more they repeat it to you, the more you end up believing it. Bokuto is not good in any of those areas. Oh my goddess, his professors quit because of the stress of teaching him the basic subjects. But, boy," the old man stared at Akaashi proudly, "Bokuto is not stupid. He will be innocent and lousy in many things, but he is not the fool that the witch has made him think he is."

Akaashi stopped to think about the words Ukai had said. He had always been good at those subjects. He was good at almost everything. He had never had problems at school. They considered him as an intelligent and applied boy. And he recalled those who carried on themselves the stigma of the poor able to not be good in these subjects. And, knowing Bokuto, Akaashi didn't think he was stupid. Only his intelligence was different from what others accepted socially.

"And you're wondering now: why is the old man giving me the talk about it? Is he senile?"

"I don't..."

Ukai let out a laugh, downplaying it with a wave of his hand.

"I think you're different from the rest." The man moved to a secluded corner and Akaashi followed. It was a kitchen that seemed about to collapse. In spite of this, his condition was unpolluted.

"What do you mean?"

The old man took out a chest full of tea and pointed Akaashi to choose.

"Green. With lemon, please."

He nodded and took out a kettle.

"Bring me the bottle, can you?" Akaashi obeyed. He passed the water bottle and the old man put the kettle to boil. "Thank you." Mr Ukai sighed, both hands resting on the counter. "I know the palace staff very well. Leader included. Most of them are good guys, they care about Kōtarō and doing their job. But... It's hard to explain. Have you ever met a person and have had the feeling that you can trust him instantly?"

Akaashi denied.

"Yeah, I guess in that case you won't understand me." The old man sat down with difficulty and a smile. He had trouble moving because of his advanced age. "Kōtarō told me about you from day one. He told me you were great. Of course, I laughed and didn't give it more attention because, well..."

"He thinks everyone is great in their way."

The old man laughed.

"But then he told me how you got out of that base, some of your conversations, and I finally met you. Thanks to that now I know why Kōtarō trusts you so much and thinks so well of you. Better than any of us." Before Akaashi added anything else, Ukai raised his hand and continued. "Don't ask me why. I don't have an exact answer. It is pure intuition. Kōtarō and I are one of those people who are guided by them. And I imagine by your way of speaking that you are one of those who are guided by absolute logic."

It was amazing how insightful that man was. He had completely analyzed Akaashi.

"I'm going to tell you something you must know about Bokuto. And I'm going to do it because the same reason Bokuto trusts you." Mr Ukai looked out the window and Akaashi imitated him. The children outside had resumed the volleyball game. "Sit down, please."

Curiosity could with Akaashi, that was why he obeyed. He grabbed a wooden stool that was barely supported and used it as a seat. Although he didn't know if it would last.

"Bokuto is very smart. Not in a conventional way. But I imagine that you already know that." Akaashi nodded. "He's amazing skilled with technology. You gave him a toy gun and, boom! A couple of hours later that gun had a range of accuracy and span much better than the ones of the seraphim. But nobody gave it importance. They didn't want Bokuto to stand out in a field that has so little visibility. The truly important thing for his family was the military, so he was forced to separate himself from technology and focus on combat. And he does well. I mean, he's very good fighting, but not a genius. But, do you need traps? Bokuto will prepare you the best." The old man sighed and got up when the kettle began to whistle. Akaashi made the move to help him, but the old man glared at him. "Stay there, I can, calm down." He dared not contradict Ukai. With the sun against the back, the wrinkles on his shoulder were accentuated by the shadows and endowed him with an almost demonic appearance. "Akaashi, since Bokuto's childhood, they have made Bokuto think that he is useless, that no matter how hard he tries he will never be good enough. That palace is fucking bullshit." Ukai poured both cups and turned to Akaashi. There was a veiled anger in his eyes that froze Akaashi. "You can't let your guard down for a single moment. Do not trust anyone but Bokuto."

"But... And his mother?"

It was obvious to Akaashi: his mother was the one who had hired him, couldn't he even trust her? It was also the leader of Capital.

His comment, however, caused Ukai to frown and his pulse trembled enough for a few drops of tea to fall on the table before he left the cups on it.

"Chika Bokuto is the last person you should trust." His voice was sharp. "The damage that witch has done to Kōtarō..."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid that's something Kōtarō should talk to you about, boy."

Akaashi's gaze was lost in the kitchen. His thoughts wandered to Bokuto's mother. It was obvious that they didn't get along too well, but at least she took care of her son. But hiring him was meaningless. Because, then, the old man told him about her. That was the real issue, one that should be resolved in due course.

"I have seen Bokuto's wounds. This time he has messed up." The man got up difficulty and took a package of cookies from the cupboard.

Akaashi could not resist the temptation to take one and put it in his mouth. They were the same as the ones his mother put on the table as a child. Same brand, same smell of cinnamon. It was like being at home again. A pang of nostalgia shook him.

"Yes, they hurt him a lot in the mission. Luckily Bokuto is strong and recovers fast. But his injuries were important."

Ukai raised an eyebrow surprised by Akaashi's comment, which he did not understand.

"Boy, you know what Bokuto's power is, right?"

But no. The truth is that the bodyguard did not have the slightest acknowledgement about Bokuto's ability or the powers of the palace Inhumans. Only those belonging to Tendō, Oikawa, and Hinata. So Akaashi shook his head, earning a sigh from the opposite.  
  
"Bokuto can heal himself and others," Akaashi's eyes widened, incredulous, with the cup halfway to his lips. The heat hit them, "but," Ukai raised a finger, "the condition to his power is that in exchange for healing he has to pay a price. I imagine you know the law that says that energy is not created or destroyed but transformed, right?"

On this occasion, Akaashi nodded.

"Well, something similar happens with the powers of the Inhumans. Most are governed by that rule or by the law of the equivalent price: every action has its consequences. In other words, a very strong power has a very strong weakness. In the case of Bokuto, it is something different." A volleyball hit the window causing both of them to jump on their sits. One of the children bowed in apology and returned to the game. "For Bokuto to heal a wound, he has to pay a price, use an amount of energy. If it is a cut, he receives another. If they are small wounds, the price is usually the same. Equivalent exchange. The problem is when they are not small." Ukai lifted his shirt showing a large scar across his body. "I've been about to die three times, boy. This was the last. I did it when a glass fell on me. One of the pieces of glass got embedded. Boy, I thought it was there. The death, I mean. But Bokuto appeared. He took it out and healed me before I bled out. When I wanted to realize, he was on the floor screaming and writhing in pain. When I took off his shirt I saw that he had a wound much worse than mine. Because he can heal himself he did not die."

The pieces of a puzzle whose existence Akaashi did not even know fit together. The realization made him tremble, unable to believe that the idea that had now appeared in his head was real. Because Ukai’s words had made him think of an idea that until then would have been impossible.

"During the mission, my wound healed because Bokuto healed it in exchange for his condition... That's why he fainted and took so long to heal..."

The old man said nothing, but the bodyguard did not need confirmation. He knew it. It made sense. Akaashi's lips opened to ask the man why Bokuto risked so much for the people, but the voice of the tallest interrupted them.

"I got it!" Bokuto appeared under the door frame with a radiant smile. His shirt, which when entering was white, was now a mixture of greys and burns of which Akaashi preferred not to know anything. The tips of his hair gave off ash, which fell on the floor. He approached and left an elongated and cylindrical object on the table. Akaashi failed to identify him; It didn't look like anything he had seen before.

The man's long, thin fingers took that device and examined it with a clinical eye for several minutes until he finally nodded to himself and returned it to the table surface. Akaashi pushed the teacup aside to make it hollow.

"The promise is debt, dwarf. You fixed it, you keep it."

"Cool, thanks!" Bokuto jumped full of energy and hugged Akaashi. The bodyguard was static without knowing how to react. "Kaashi, isn't it great?!"

"Yes... Sure, it's really cool, Bokuto," he murmured, and his lips curl in such a tiny smile that only someone specialized in body language could identify.

"Ah, now, out, out! You have already bothered me a lot," Ukai growled, standing up. He picked up the mysterious device and placed it into Bokuto's strong arms. Akaashi was sure he was kicking them out because the bodyguard had finished his tea and Bokuto the reason they had gone there. If not, Ukai would have left them for a while longer.

After the insistent complaints of the man, both Bokuto and Akaashi left the strange laboratory. The bodyguard now with more doubts than before. Because that day he had known a new facet of Bokuto. Capital's favourite boy, the selfless companion, the glue of any group, and now also the undervalued engineer and the inhuman capable of sacrificing his health for others. Bokuto Kōtarō was, without a doubt, the most complex person Keiji had ever met. And he hated to admit it, but that appealed to him more and more. The leader's son was a diamond, with so many edges, so perfect, that one was fascinated by studying it. It was... so pure, so perfect. Well, of course, he had his imperfections. He was strident, energetic, tireless... But Akaashi didn't consider it as defects.

Outside the night sky received them accompanied by a gentle breeze that rocked the dark hair of the bodyguard. Akaashi, while walking next to Bokuto, allowed himself to observe the stars that adorned the celestial dome. Capital was a beautiful place, but at night its beauty became indescribable. The thousands of stars that stained the sky, the dim lights that gave the city a mystical halo thanks to the fog formed by the clouds... He would never get tired of that landscape.

"Did you have fun?"

Akaashi tilted his head toward Bokuto. The boy looked as relaxed as he had always seen when they were alone. There was no clumsiness, no nervousness, no tension. Bokuto didn't scream, at least not too much. It was one of Bokuto's favourite versions for Akaashi.

"Yes," said Akaashi. The moonlight cast a special, almost magical glow on Bokuto's eyes.

"Yeah!" Bokuto jumped enthusiastically, like when he managed to score a point breaking Kuroo's defense. Akaashi laughed and Bokuto stopped in front of him with his mouth open. "You have laughed! Woah, this must be my lucky day!"

"Bokuto, I'm not a robot, I can laugh and smile."

"I know, but you don't do it often and your smile is so pretty! It's not fair. But, I managed to get you one! Oh, I'm so lucky!!

Akaashi looked away and scratched his cheek as if it really itched instead of to hide the blush that now shone on his complexion. Before Bokuto realized, he started walking, passing by quickly. It had been years since anyone got a reaction of such calibre in him. And the last person took months. Instead, Bokuto Kōtarō had achieved it in just a few weeks. Akaashi knew it, but at that moment he completely realized: Bokuto was dangerous.

Bokuto was the person capable of stealing anyone's heart. Even his.

"Kaashi, look!" Bokuto pointed to the sky and Akaashi looked up.

A shooting star crossed the celestial ocean. Seconds later a second one appeared. It was the beginning of a rain of stars. Akaashi did not realize that his mouth had opened, impressed by the celestial phenomenon.

"This is beautiful, isn't it?" Bokuto asked and Akaashi nodded, unable to speak. He had never seen so many stars. Bokuto took his hand, entwining their fingers, and ran in the same direction as the stars.

The bodyguard was dragged because he knew it was impossible to stop Bokuto when an idea got into his head. And he really didn't want to stop him either.

They reached the riverbank that divided Capital in two and Bokuto slid down the hill followed by Akaashi. They slipped through the grass. Akaashi noticed that Bokuto kept laughing, and drew a small smile. He seemed really happy and that made him happy. That is, it was his job. Nothing else. If your client was happy it was a reason to rejoice, right? It meant he was doing well.

"Have you wished anything?" Asked Bokuto, lying on the grass. His eyes fixed on Akaashi.

"I never did it."

"But... You didn't want anything? Really? Nothing? Must be something you want!"

Akaashi thought about it. Yes, of course, there were things he wanted, but he simply did not believe they could be fulfilled, even thanks to a divine force.

"And you? Have you wished anything?" Bokuto nodded vigorously. He spread both arms on the grass. He looked relaxed and completely at peace with the world around him. Akaashi envied him.

"Sure," he answered naturally. Bokuto ripped off a blade of grass and brought it to Akaashi's arm. A pleasant tingle ran through the bodyguard's body when the blade touched him. "I wished more days like today. I had a lot of fun. And I like being with you. I know this is just your job, and you may not consider me a friend, but…" Bokuto's voice lost strength as he spoke and shrugged," I do consider you a friend. I like your company, and I trust you. So... well, if I can wish anything... I want all the days to be like this one."

Akaashi took a deep breath. He took a dandelion hidden in the grass and played with it.

"You are wrong," replied Akaashi. He placed the dandelion in Bokuto's hair. The man watched Akaashi confused. "I still remember when you told me that you thought I considered you annoying. You were right then. It bothered me a little that attitude so... yours. But not anymore. I judged you, I'm sorry. So…" Akashi sighed and stood. He held out his hand to Bokuto, "I also consider you a friend. And... thanks for taking me to such an important place for you."

Bokuto took Akaashi's hand. They stood there, looking at each other, ignoring the rain of stars around them. Bokuto laughed, and Akaashi smiled by inertia. The golden-eyed rose and a breeze tore the dandelion from his hair. Akaashi watched him fly as he fell apart in the air. This time he made a wish.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much for reading. I hope you'd enjoyed it.


End file.
